Rob raises an eyebrow at me.
“Forty doesn’t mean you’re dead.”
I roll my eyes, and pull out the coupon, just to be sure. Sure enough, Maggie’s written her name on the back of it followed by ten digits. I don’t want to give Rob the satisfaction of being right, so I shrug.
“Maybe so.”
“It’s not surprising,” he says, getting into the driver’s seat. “She looked like she wanted to throw herself at you the entire time we were there.”
I snort.
“Hardly, but what can I say?” I brush imaginary dust from my shoulder. “Women love a man in uniform.”
He chuckles as we pull our seatbelts on. Then, Rob turns on the engine (and the heater, thank god), and we start driving back to the hospital. He yawns as he rounds a corner. My buddy does seem more tired lately, but I guess that’s to be expected. After all, Rob is a family man now. He’s got a beautiful wife, Pepper, and they’ve got two kids: Emily is three years old, and his youngest, Emerald, is only nine months. They must be putting him through the wringer, judging from the dark circles beneath his eyes.
But if I’m being honest, sometimes in my private moments, I feel jealous of my friend. Who wouldn’t? I’ve been a playboy for years now, and it actually sounds quite appealing to go home to a beautiful woman ready to welcome you with open arms. The kids are a handful, yes, but I’ve seen how Rob adores his daughters, and it would be nice to have a family at some point. Plus, ever since Rob got married, he seems so much happier. Who would have thought?
Actually, the fact that my partner’s happier as a married man blows my mind. To this day, my father still tells me that tying the knot with my mom was the worst decision he’s ever made. “If you find a girl who wants to pin you down,” he warned, “you run as fast as you can in the other direction, boy.”
I know that’s just bitterness talking because my mom did okay after their divorce. Priscilla remarried a pretty nice guy, and even though it happened ages ago, my dad is still jealous. But it’s for no reason. My stepdad, Ronnie, treats my mom better than my dad ever did, and that’s all that matters.
Still, I can’t help but feel jealous of Rob sometimes. It’s ridiculous because he’s in his mid-forties. Surely, if he can find someone that he wants to spend the rest of his life with, there must be hope for me, right? I mean, women throw themselves at me right and left because of my muscular physique and winning smile. The problem is that they haven’t been the right women so far.
While Rob’s focused on the road, I pull out the coupon for Chester’s Bowling Alley. I look at the number scrawled on the back. Who knows? I’m not really into Maggie, but then again, she seemed to have a decent personality. Should I ask her out?
I entertain the idea for all of about three seconds before I roll down the window and let the wind take the coupon away. Rob glances at me, but I don’t meet his gaze. It would never work between me and Maggie because of one glaring fact: I hate bowling.
3
Jessa
* * *
I close my laptop and put my empty bowl in the sink. I’m distracting myself with music as I take my time washing the dishes. It’s not bad actually. The soapy water is warm on my hands, and there’s a certain type of accomplishment that comes with seeing a clean kitchen at the end.
But my thoughts drift. I’m twenty-three now, and no stranger to lust. I tried the long-distance thing with a college student last summer, but the miles were just too challenging. I guess we were too young and immature to go the distance.
Not that I’m sad though because my summer fling was a tall, gangly boy. By contrast, Sam Nelson is a man. He’s tall and built, with a charming smile and eyes so blue they make me feel warm in my mind. He’s got a deep laugh, and a dimple in his left cheek, from what I remember.
What am I thinking? This is so maddening. Sam’s on my mind, but he’s not here. I’ve never even been formally introduced. But for some reason, I can’t get the handsome EMT out of my head. I don’t know what it is, but I’m so horny that I can’t take it anymore.
After all, why worry about things I have no control over, when I could be thinking about something much more fun? I turn off the water and stand in my kitchen for a second. I close my eyes and rub my thighs together. Mmm… Sam. If he were here, and if he were aware of how badly I want him, how would he give it to me?