Theo thought I was smart. Theo thought I was capable. He liked to tell me how incredible I was. He cloaked it in professionalism, of course. After all he was a client. But I knew he meant it as so much more than that.
I knew a hot and bothered male when I saw one.
Theo was the man you’d take home to Mom. He was the perfect guy for my slowly evolving lifestyle change.
Yet I was going with Gracie this weekend to Raleigh to see the other man in my life. The one Mom would never, ever know about.
The one I had no doubt would ruin me in the worst possible way.
Theo’s answering laugh was predictably uneasy but happy. He liked my flirting. But I made him nervous. He didn’t quite know if I was joking or being serious.
That made two of us.
“Well, I. . .I’d like your company as well, of course,” Theo stuttered adorably. Knowing I kept him off-balance was such a powerful feeling. With Cole I was always the one off kilter. I couldn’t think of a time he ever stumbled over his words when he spoke to me.
But what more could I expect from a man who gave me orgasms and little else?
“I’m not really worried about delays. We’re way ahead of schedule,” I stated, dialing back the flirting a bit, feeling somewhat deflated by my guilt and Cole based shame.
I had been steeling myself all week for what I expected to find when I got down to Raleigh. Who I would have to fend off and how much damage I would have to inflict.
And I was excited about it. I knew exactly what that said about me. I knew what sort of person that made me.
I had no delusions. I was addicted to the rush only Cole could give me. But it exhausted me as well.
I was torn and conflicted and oh so ashamed to feel anything at all.
Cole turned me upside down and inside out.
I loved it.
But I hated him for it.
“Vivian? Did you hear what I just said?” Theo asked and I shook my head and pressed the receiver to my ear. Fixating on Cole in any way shape or form was not conducive to getting my job done.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized.
Theo chuckled good-naturedly. “I said the budget was just my excuse. I’d really like to take you to lunch and not talk about work at all. What do you think?” he asked in a rush.
And there it was. I had been anticipating it. I knew it was only a matter of time. I had practically forced this to happen.
So why did I feel suddenly apprehensive at the prospect of going on an actual date with Theo Anderson?
Was it because I actually liked him?
Was it because with him was the possibility of an actual relationship? A tiny slice of normalcy that I had otherwise been missing in my life.
That to accept would be to take that first step away from Cole for good.
I hadn’t dated anyone since Cole and I started sleeping together. Sure there had been dates here and there but I had always found a reason to call it quits before it ever began.
I kissed some guys. But Cole was the only man I had been with in over two years.
Because Cole had been the only one I wanted. For all of his faults, he fulfilled this crazy need I had inside me like no one else could.
But Theo was different. Or maybe it was me that was different.
I felt something alter inside me. I was reaching a breaking point and I knew that now was my moment for change.
My cell phone dinged in my purse, as if on cue. I pulled it out and looked down at the screen and had to cover my mouth so I wouldn’t laugh in Theo’s ear.
Mr. Winky and I miss you…
A few seconds later another text came in and this time I had to snicker out loud at the cartoon drawing of a penis with sad eyes and a pouting mouth saying, Hurry up, I’m lonely!
My heart thudded in my chest and my stomach coiled up in anticipation. I missed him too, damn him!
I was honestly starting to question whether the man had latent psychic abilities. Even from hundreds of miles away he was screwing up my world and driving me insane.