Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“The Bar. Vanessa and I are having date night.”
“Shit.”
“Why?”
“That’s where she is.”
Carly had never met Michael, so she would have no idea who he was.
“You’re kidding. Hang on. I’ll go back in and scope out the place. What does she look like again?”
“I don’t want you spying on her…”
He ignored me. “Long blonde hair?”
“Yeah…” I paced and chewed my lip, waiting for him to say something.
“Holy crap. I think I see her. She’s wearing a black dress, right? And she’s with a dude and another couple. There’s only one pretty blonde in the place. Has to be her.”
There was no sense in denying it. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“Hang on,” he said.
I could hear the muffled sound of him talking to his wife.
“Sorry, I wanted to fill Vanessa in.”
“Please don’t go up to Carly.”
“Of course not. It’s better if she doesn’t know I’m here. But I can text you updates about what I’m seeing.”
“I don’t need updates. It’s none of my business what she’s doing.”
“So, you don’t care that she’s sitting on some guy’s lap right now kissing him?”
My stomach sank. I didn’t even have the words to respond.
“You still there?”
“Are you fucking with me, Michael?”
“Wow, man.” He laughed.
“What?”
“You went radio silent.” He chuckled. “I was only messing with you.”
“Shithead.” I couldn’t believe I fell for that, even for a second. I’d thought maybe I’d gotten her so revved up she was taking it out on that dude instead.
“She’s sitting across from him, just talking. He’s pretty good-looking. Not as hot as you, though. And certainly not as hot as me.”
It felt wrong spying on her. That was more than I needed to know. “Don’t watch her anymore,” I told him. “Leave her alone. She deserves her privacy. I’m gonna let you go.”
I hung up before he could say anything else.
I ventured into Scottie’s room and sat down on the edge of his mattress. He was fully immersed in three different videos on three different tablets. And he was taking photos and videos of all three tablets with a fourth iPad. That’s how Scottie rolled. Wayne must have gone broke buying him electronic devices. I knew why though: Scottie went ballistic whenever the battery on one of his devices ran out. You always had to have an extra on hand while the other was charging. Better safe than sorry.
“Man, I wish you could understand me right now because I could really use someone to talk to.”
He looked up for a fleeting moment before returning his attention to the iPad.
I laughed. “Heck, maybe you can understand, and I just don’t know it. Maybe you think I’m the biggest idiot, too.” Letting out a deep sigh, I rubbed his back. “Have you ever wanted something you know you shouldn’t have, Scottie? But in the end, you just can’t stop wanting it? I’m trying to think of something you can relate to.” I snapped my fingers. “Like you and the Internet. Too much of it’s not good for you, right? It’s constant stimulation and bad for your eyes. But you do it anyway. You’re on that shit all the time, and there’s nothing any of us can do to make you not want it.” I gazed up at his ceiling. “That’s sort of how it’s been with Carly lately. The more I tell myself I can’t have her, the more I want her. It’s messed up.” I shook him playfully. “You got any advice for me, big guy? You’re probably the only person I trust with any of this, you know?”
Rather than respond, Scottie opened his music app and blasted some Elton John in reverse, nearly blowing my eardrums out. After a minute, I deciphered that it was “Crocodile Rock.”
I fell into a trance as I listened to him playing various songs for a while, and eventually I dozed off next to him on the mattress.
When I woke up sometime later, he was fast asleep. I took his devices and connected them all to the chargers in the corner of the room before turning his light off.
I looked at the time on my phone. It was past midnight. Carly had to have been having a good time if she’d stayed out this late.
I then noticed a text from Michael.
Michael: I know you said you didn’t want updates, but I’m gonna give you my overall assessment. Her body language told me she wasn’t that into him. She kept checking her phone. I’d be willing to bet she was looking to see if you’d texted her. When we left, they were still there, but I got the impression she was bored.
When I clicked out of his message, I noticed another text—from Carly.
Carly: I’m trying to enjoy this date, but I can’t stop thinking about you—what you said, and the way you were looking at me tonight.
Fuck. She’d sent that a couple of hours ago, and she still wasn’t home yet.