“Uh-oh.I recognize that face.I don’t see it often, but that’s the face of hesitation.Maybe even second thoughts,” Esmewhispered.
It took all the adult willpower in my body not to flip off the screen.Both Erik and Esme read me tooeasily.
“What if ...what if something happens and ...”I pressed my lips together, not even wanting to put my fears out in theuniverse.
“What if it’s not as good as you’ve always hoped it would be?”Esmesuggested.
“You think you’ve built this guy up to have a Jack-in-the-beanstalk-level magic cock, and he might just have regular beans?”Erikasked.
Neither waited for me to respond, opting instead to discuss it amongstthemselves.
“He can’t suck,” Esme said.“I’ve seen pictures of that guy, and he looks like therealdeal.”
Erik speared her with a skeptical look.“Oh, and your track record with identifying winners issogood?”
“Shut up.That was one internet dating experience gone bad.It’snotlike—”
I hit theEndbutton on the screen and wondered how long it would take them to realize I’d hung uponthem.
I gave itthree,two,one...
They popped up onscreenagain.
“Hey,notfair.”
“Movingonnow.”
After knocking out a long list of items I needed to discuss with Erik and Esme, I clicked out of the video conference and looked at the time.Two more hours had passed, and still no word from Rhett orHeath.
Okay, I’m just pathetic.I’ve got plenty of things to do to keep me busy, and none of them involve mooning over RhettHennessy.
Years ago, I’d spent way too much time up in my tiny room, staring out the window at the Hennessys’ driveway and front yard, hoping for a glimpse of Rhett coming or going from school or practice or ...ugh, on dates.Instead of studying and preparing to rock my future life, I’d make up stories about how Rhett would scale the chimney and sneak in through my window and tell me he couldn’t live without me.Followed by him carrying me out of my childhood bedroom and down the stairs without getting shot bymydad.
Needless to say, that had never happened.What did happen was watching Rhett bring his senior prom date, Valerie Hebert, to his parents’ house after picking her up so his mom could take pictures of them in front of the blooming magnolia tree out front.The day before, Valerie had spent a good twenty minutes preening in the girls’ locker room after PE, smiling smugly about how Rhett Hennessy was going to try to hit a home run after prom, and she was thinking aboutlettinghim.
She still had that smug look on her face before he led her to the passenger side door of his dad’s classic Corvette and helped herinside.
I’d been near tears and ready to give up my hopes and dreams about all things Rhett Hennessy at the thought of them together in some hotel room, when the long skirt of her pink princess dress had touched the exhaust pipe running under the door.It melted instantly, ruining her perfect look and causing a bloodcurdling scream to echo through theneighborhood.
Now, I hadn’t been rejoicing at any girl’s dream prom getting ruined, but from the way she’d lit into Rhett in front of his entire family, and the way he’d looked skyward as if searching for patience and had accidentally met my gaze through the panes of my bedroom window ...I knew that he wasn’t going to be scoring any runs that night, and I’d felt marginallybetter.
Then I’d let myself daydream about what it would be like for Rhett to show up and take me to myseniorprom.
Spoiler alert—hehadn’t.
I’d gone with Donny Jenkins, who’d tried to shove his hand up my dress as I walked out to his car.I had to tell him my brother was the top shooter from his academy class and would happily put holes in him if he tried it again.Donny had left me in the parking lot, and I’d had to get a ride home with all the girls who’d gone stag.I’d never heard from himagain.
Maybe I should have said something similar toCarlos...
To this day, I wondered if Donny had crapped his pants as he’d run to his mom’s Suburban and torn out of the parking lot.I’d never thought about himsince.
Ah ...trips down memory lane.So notuseful.
I stood up, stretched my arms behind my back, and shook out my wrists to prevent carpal tunnel.Then I walked into the kitchen to dig up some food before I got backtowork.
Waiting on Rhett Hennessy was like hoping your hair wouldn’t frizz up in the Louisiana humidity—pointless andfrustrating.
With a bowl of stir fry in front of me, I went back to work, determined to knock out everything on my to-do list before I let my mind wander in the direction of Rhett Hennessy again.Since my track record of being able to stop thinking about him wassogreat.