Sinful Longing

Which made this new situation that much harder. Because she’d just spent the last hour in a strange state of suspended animation as she counseled a boy on how to reconnect with the family of the man she was involved with.

Never in her life had she wanted to clone herself like she did now. Never had she so badly needed to be two Elles at once.

*

Colin closed the math apps on his laptop, pleased with the progress that Rex had made. After winning the basketball court bet, Colin had expected some resistance from Rex, but the teen had taken quickly to the business math they worked on and had decided to sign up for a math placement test at community college in just a few days. Their tutoring had become a crash course, and Rex had been excelling.

As a reward, Rex attacked a fleet of zombies as he played video games with his brother Tyler and Elle’s son Alex. Colin glanced over at the boys, firing away at the living dead on the TV.

Alex pointed, practically stabbing the screen. “Get that one. Do it now!” he shouted to Rex.

Sometimes, it was odd to be in the same room with Alex. Not because Colin knew what the kid’s mom looked like naked and falling apart in his arms. And not because there was any weirdness with Alex—there wasn’t.

The issue lay with Colin. He was keenly aware that Elle had drawn a line in the sand regarding who she let into her son’s life. Given what happened to Alex’s dad, he understood her need to protect him.

“Rex, look out! There’s another one. You have to book it to the safe house!” The warning came from Rex’s little brother. Rex narrowed his eyes in fierce concentration, jamming his thumb hard on the controller, firing away at a zombie and blasting him to smithereens.

“Oh yeah! You did it. Man. You don’t suck as much as I thought,” Alex said to Rex, then punched him on the shoulder.

“I don’t suck at all. I rock hard. And I will school you soon enough,” Rex said as he raised his arms in triumph.

“You wish,” Alex said, picking up his controller to get ready for his turn. “I am the master.”

Rex craned his neck to catch Colin’s attention. “Hey, man! Got any tips for us on angles and shit?

“You know anything about video games?” Alex asked as Colin stuffed his laptop into a messenger bag.

“I know a bit.”

“Give me a tip,” Alex said. “I need to up my game.”

Do something cool for Elle’s kid? This was a no-brainer—he liked working with the boys, and he liked that he could be a positive influence rather than a bad one. That had to count for something. Plus, Alex was a good kid. “Here’s your tip. It’s all strategy. You just devise a strategy and follow it. But don’t be afraid to pivot if things change, and then to pivot again,” he said, then let his own advice register. Because, as he noodled on the words, he realized they might apply to his approach with Elle.

His strategy had been to focus on the physical, then on the fun and friendship, despite her big reservations. The approach had worked, to a point. Each encounter they’d had was hotter than the last, and each moment together seemed to show how good a time they could have. The question was, when would all the fun and games tip over into something more? Something deeper. He’d sensed an inkling of emotion from her at the Mob Museum, and even more the other morning at the cafe by the canyon. Was it time to pivot once again?

“Strategy,” Alex repeated, then tapped his temple as he played. “I’m working on my strategy as we speak. Thanks, man.”

Alex held out his free hand for a low high-five, and Colin obliged.

As the boys returned to the game, Colin tapped the back of the couch and told them he’d see them later in the week. On the way out, he walked past the vending machine. The Diet Cherry Coke had been restocked. A rarity. He plugged some quarters in and snagged a cold one, then stopped at Elle’s office to say a quick good-bye.

A chaste good-bye. A friendly good-bye. To show her he could care for her not only in bed, but also during the regular rhythm of her day. She loved Diet Cherry Coke in the afternoon. A pick-me-up. Yes, it was a small thing. But wasn’t it the little gestures in life that often mattered the most?

The door was shut. He knocked and heard some rustling and the squeak of a chair. There was no answer. He waited ten seconds before he knocked once more.

“I’m busy now.” Her voice was tinny from behind the walls.

He set the can on the floor and left, sending her a text that the soda was from him.

A few minutes later, as he drove home, his phone rang with a call from an international number. He swiped over the screen immediately, eager for the details from Ryan.

“How’s Johnny Cash?”

Colin laughed deeply. Only his dog-loving brother would focus on the four-legged beast first. “I’m on my way home to take care of him now. He is a prince among canines. I took him to the dog park the other night and all the lady dogs ran up to him,” Colin said into the speakerphone as he slowed at a red light.