Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
“Anyway,” Ava moved on, realizing she was in danger of wallowing, “I bet Ryan asked if he could talk to you, and Jason agreed.”
I considered it. It made sense. I had been angry at Jason for no reason. He hadn’t snubbed me, and there was still a chance that the sex had meant just as much to him as it had to me. I thought back over how I had acted last night when he had come home. I hadn’t said anything to him and walked out of the living room when he had tried to say hello.
“Oh.” I felt the air escape my lungs in a dejected sigh. “I think I messed things up again.”
“How?” Ava wondered.
“I thought that he…” When I tried to put my suspicions into words, it just sounded worse than ever.
“Slept with you and then hit on me?” Ava finished.
“Yeah,” I admitted.
She patted my hand.
The door swung open, making the bells ring. Bella walked in, ready for her twelve o’clock appointment. Ava stood up to greet her, and I busied myself with straightening up until another customer demanded my attention. As I worked, I wondered how I could make it up to Jason. I didn’t relish the idea of having a long and awkward conversation about how I thought he had been a prick. It was too early in our relationship to falsely accuse him of wrongdoing.
I decided to get him a present, but what? A bottle of vodka or a six-pack seemed too suggestive. I didn’t want to indicate that I was horny or looking for another hookup, though that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. I could get him a clock or a lamp or some other equally bland housewarming gift. But I wanted it to be special. After worrying over it in my mind for at least half the day, I decided on the perfect gift. I would go to the local hardware store and get him something for his woodworking. Hadn’t he said he wanted to make a coffee table?
I finished up my shift and locked up for the day, waving goodbye to Ava. The hardware store was on the same strip as the hair salon, only two blocks down. I walked quickly, thinking about what I was going to get. Did he need some woodworking tools? Or a book of projects?
I opened the door and stepped inside, my senses assaulted by rows and rows of tools. I realized in an instant that I was completely lost. A local teenager stocking the shelves looked up and took pity on me.
“Can I help you find something?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said thankfully. “I’m looking for a gift for a friend who does woodworking.”
“Woodworking supplies are in the back.” He turned and led the way through crowded aisles to the back of the store. Crammed into a display area no wider than a yardstick were an assortment of tools and accessories that I couldn’t identify. Which ones did he need? I glanced at the kid in panic.
“Maybe you could get him a gift card?” the boy suggested.
“Yes,” I agreed. That was perfect. Then Jason could come here and pick out whatever he wanted.
I followed the boy back to the register and paid for the gift card. I had just slipped it into my purse when the door opened, and Macy stepped in. She was in the middle of a conversation with her husband and had a baby strapped to her chest.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Macy was saying. “If they wanted you to uninstall the firewall, they should have just said.” She looked up to see me standing at the register, her face breaking into a smile. “Lindsey!” Dillon and Nicky, Macy’s husband and son, squeezed through the door behind her. “I’ll catch up,” she told them.
The boys smiled before diving into the depths of the hardware store in search of something they needed.
“What are you doing here?” Macy was clearly surprised.
“Oh, I came to get a gift for someone.” I sidestepped the question, not ready to announce my intentions to the world.
“Is it Jason?” she asked slyly.
I nodded, feeling my cheeks heat up.
“Did he move into the cabin?”
I nodded again, thinking of our frantic lovemaking session.
“I have to hear all about it.”
“Do you want to go get dinner?” I asked cautiously. It seemed like Macy had her hands full, but the question couldn’t hurt.
Dillon came up behind his wife, put his arms around her, and said, “You go ahead. I’ll take the kids home.”
“Really?” Macy brightened.
“Sure.” He kissed her ear, and I couldn’t help but feeling I was gazing in on an intimate act.
Dillon paid for his purchases and walked the family out to their car. Macy disentangled herself from the baby and put her in the car seat. I watched their ballet with a mixture of jealousy and pride. I was thrilled for Macy and Dillon that they had found a partner in life, and I wondered what it would be like to have help all the time. To wake up and share the most mundane tasks, to raise tiny human beings together.