Craft (The Gibson Boys 2)

Me: Actually, I’m probably not going to be using this app much longer.

There’s a long, probably deliberate, pause and I hope I haven’t hurt her feelings.

Me: I do wish we would’ve gotten to meet though. I think we could’ve hit it off. I mean, I haven’t had a conversation this good without an orgasm for, well, maybe ever.

Nerdy Nurse: I get it. I thought maybe I could figure out how to have a one-night stand on here, but I suck.

Me: You didn’t tell me you sucked. On second thought …

Nerdy Nurse: Ha, ha, ha. Maybe I’ll meet someone in real life who will sweep me off my feet.

Me: Don’t date doctors though. I’ve heard bad things about them.

Nerdy Nurse: They’re on my ‘no go’ list.

A thought crosses my mind and I toy with it for a moment. Going back and forth, I finally decide to take a chance.

Me: Now that sex is firmly off the table because although you do suck, you can’t fuck, maybe some time we could meet for dinner. Just so we can put a face to a name.

There’s another weird pause. Her chat bubble takes forever to start dancing to let me know she’s typing. I hold my breath, still unsure as to whether or not this is a good idea.

Nerdy Nurse: I have a friend I need to check on in the morning, but I’m open after that. If you want to grab lunch somewhere?

Me: Noon-ish?

Nerdy Nurse: Perfect. Where?

Nothing too fancy, nothing too fast-food. My brain sorts through locations until I remember Peaches.

Me: Peaches? It’s in Merom.

Nerdy Nurse: That works.

Me: See you then.

Eleven

Lance

When the church bells ring on Sunday morning you can hear them all the way from the high school on the other side of Linton. You can really hear them when you have a migraine brewing and they ring out as you’re walking up the sidewalk.

Last night consisted of a lot of tossing and even more turning. This guilty conscience thing is shit. No matter what I told myself to make it stop, it didn’t. When I finally opened my eyes for good, I thought about hitting snooze but didn’t want to deal with Nana. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a bonus point with the Lord when I go to meet Nerdy Nurse.

I shouldn’t meet her. There’s really no point. There’s something about her I want to see, to put a face with the name of the woman I’ve had a running conversation with all this time. A woman I’ve spent hours wondering about, and whose image I’ve been jacking off to. Maybe we’ll meet and hate each other in person and I can write her off. That would be simpler.

On that note, I should be writing off Mariah too, but I can’t.

Maybe I can hit the altar this morning.

“Morning,” I say to the pastor, not making eye contact so he doesn’t stop me. Not the most courteous thing I’ve ever done, but I’m sure I’ll top it before the day is out.

Winding my way through the parishioners of Holy Hills, I nod and bid greetings whenever necessary. None of it registers. My mind isn’t here. Turns out that having a conscience is a real thing. Having something riding on it isn’t nearly as fun as having someone riding on your cock.

Nana and my brothers are sitting in their usual spot in the front right corner. Peck and our grandmother sit one row behind Machlan and Walker. Sienna sits in my old spot. I guess Walker felt like it was safer for me to sit next to Sienna than Machlan. I’m kind of perturbed by that.

“Hey,” I say, slipping into my seat. I look straight ahead and hope they all have hangovers and don’t feel chatty.

“Good morning,” Sienna almost sings.

“It’s too early, Slugger,” I groan. “Let’s take it down a notch, okay?”

Machlan’s head pops around Walker. “Late night?”

“Yeah, for all the wrong reasons.”

“But she was absolutely lovely,” Nana pipes in. “Just lovely, Lance. I hope she’ll come by today. Sienna will love her. Or maybe you’ve met her already?”

Their eyes are all on me. Even Cross knows something is up when he struts in and sinks into the pew in front of us. I refuse to look at them, not even Nana because my mouth wants to say a string of words she loathes. Also words not welcome in a house of God, but I’m not really sure who I’m more afraid of.

“No, Nana,” Sienna chirps, staring at me. “I haven’t met her. What’s she like?”

“Nana, let’s do this later,” I mutter. The rip at my temple starts up again right behind my left eye.

“Nope. Let’s do it now,” Sienna goads.

“Is this the leggy nurse? Peck asks. “If so, I vote to hear about it now.”

I glare at him over my shoulder. “Seriously. We are in a church, for crying out loud. Have some respect for the man upstairs.”