Later it became a bigger problem than I had realized.
“Of course we’re family. The crazy, dysfunctional kind, but family nonetheless,” I said.
“That’s the best kind,” Maysie smiled.
We sat side by side for a while, neither of us talking.
“Are you happy with Sophie?” Maysie asked out of the blue.
“Huh?” I blinked in surprise.
“I mean, do you see yourself together for the long-term?” Maysie went on.
I thought of a hundred answers that very simple question.
“No,” I said without hesitation. Shit. Where had that come from? I had never given much thought about my future with Sophie. I didn’t think about where we’d be next month, let alone “long-term.”
“I don’t know why I just said that,” I said, feeling like an ass. Maysie would undoubtedly think I was a raging douchebag. What kind of guy dates a girl for a year and then when asked if he could see himself with said girl in the future, says no?
The douchebaggy kind.
Because if I felt that way I shouldn’t be with Sophie. End of discussion.
I thought of how things were when we returned to the hotel room tonight. How cold and distant I felt.
Sophie had to have felt it. Of course she did. She wasn’t an idiot.
Why were we together?
The answer didn’t seem so simple anymore.
Sure, Sophie was safe. Sophie was constant.
Sophie had been there when I needed someone to be.
I had been terrified of being alone. Because if I was alone, there would have been a good chance I’d crawl on hands and knees back to Gracie, begging her to love me. And I had been trying to hold onto some semblance of pride.
Warm fucking milk.
Maysie didn’t look surprised by my confession. She didn’t look at me in disappointment or disgust either, which was good for my already deteriorating self-esteem. She stood up and shoved her hands into her pockets. “I think this break from being on the road will be good for everyone. Maybe you should take that time to figure out your long-term.”
I nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like a decent idea,” I agreed.
Maysie shivered. “Okay, I’m going back in before I turn into a Popsicle. Thanks for the chat, Mitch.”
“Sure thing. Anytime, Mays.”
I sat outside for another hour after Maysie left. Maybe you should take that time to figure out your long-term.
She was right.
That’s exactly what I was going to do.
“Let me be what you need. Please,” I begged her. I was going to lose my mind if I didn’t get inside of her. We weren’t even naked. Gracie had pushed my jeans down over my ass and her panties still dangled from her left ankle. She was on her back underneath me, panting and ready.
Her face was red from my stubble, her lips swollen from my teeth. She was gorgeous.
She had shown up at my hotel room door and everything had happened so fast. The next thing I knew we were kissing. Goddamn, we were kissing. It was like we were going to devour each other.
Then her shirt came off and I finally tasted those amazing tits. I had dreamed about Gracie’s breasts. Imagined a thousand times what they’d feel like. I just didn’t think I’d ever have the chance. Because we were just friends.
Only ever friends.
For years I had been relegated to that place where a guy’s ego goes to die. The friend zone.
But then she showed up tonight and let me touch her. And kiss her. And now here I was, with my cock between her legs and she was having doubts. I should have expected it. Gracie was messy. She was complicated. She was absolutely everything I had ever, could ever want.
Gracie reached up and cupped my face in her hands. “You’re always so patient with me, Mitch. Why? Why haven’t you run in the other direction? Most people would, you know.”
How could she not know? Hadn’t I made it obvious a million times already?
I grabbed her hand and softly kissed the palm, letting my lips linger. Then I looked down at her and told her the words I had always wanted her to hear.