Except, for a while now, there’d been no fun to be had thanks to his equipment not working. Every time things had gotten heated in the past two years, his body refused to cooperate. It was really starting to fuck with his head.
He’d talked to his doctor about it, thinking it had to do with the medication he was on for pain and anxiety, but since everything worked just fine when he was alone, the doctor said it was probably more mental than physical. Josh wasn’t completely convinced that was the case.
Pricilla: Hey stranger. It’s been a while. I’m going to be passing through Hope Falls. Do ya wanna grab a drink at JT’s?
He wondered if maybe he should meet Pricilla and give it another try. It’s not like she hadn’t been understanding about his performance, or lack thereof. Just like Jenny and Sabrina who had both been very sweet about the situation. And he’d made sure they were taken care of and hadn’t left frustrated. He didn’t need his dick to satisfy a woman, he just wished it was an option.
And maybe if things did go better, and everything worked the way it was supposed to, it would take the edge off. If he was with someone, maybe he’d be able to stop obsessing about Audrey so much. He’d had it bad for her for years, but lately it felt like his feelings for her were at critical mass. Every interaction they had, he worried that he was going to do something stupid like declare his undying love for her or kiss her.
If he saw Pricilla tonight, maybe then he could be around Audrey without wanting to rip her clothes off of her.
Even as he thought it, he realized that it was a bad idea. Did Pricilla use him? Sure. She’d been very upfront about that fact. She called whenever she got dumped, and when she had been going through a divorce. But seeing someone because you were lonely or trying to get over someone was different than seeing someone to try and numb your very active feelings for someone else.
He texted back that he was working and wouldn’t be able to meet her. He was putting his phone back in his pocket when it vibrated again.
Pricilla: Are you seeing someone else? It’s totally okay if you are. I just…you’ve seemed distant lately.
He wrote back a short response.
Josh: No.
As soon as it delivered, he watched as bubbles appeared on his screen, but then they disappeared. Then they came back and disappeared again. It was obvious that Pricilla had more to say to him, but she wasn’t sure how to say it.
He knew then that their relationship had run its course and he knew that he owed her an explanation.
Josh: I’m not seeing her, technically, but there is someone else.
Pricilla: Okay...thank you for your honesty. I hope she makes you happy. I really mean that. I’m not being sarcastic. You are a really great guy and you deserve to be happy.
Josh wasn’t sure he agreed with that. He was a broken and very damaged man in every way possible. But she didn’t need to know that. He sent back a sincere reply.
Josh: So do you.
He’d put his phone away and slid back under the Mustang to try and forget about the fact that he’d just confessed to someone that he had feelings for Audrey. Not that he’d named names but still, he’d admitted it.
He was just starting to get back into the flow of work when he felt something hit his knee. He didn’t have to look to know that it was Nonna’s slipper. She took it off and swatted him when she wanted to get his attention.
He rolled out and Nonna was staring down at him holding her shoe in her hand.
“I thought you went home already,” he said before he realized that she must have gone home because she was wearing her house shoes. Her house was only around the corner from the shop. He walked her home when it was dark outside, but today she’d left well before sunset.
“I was home. I came back. I forgot that I need you to do something tonight.”
“What?” Josh sat up and wiped his hands.
She made a shooing motion with her hand. “You need to go eat without the lights on.”
Josh stared at Nonna, sure that he’d either heard her wrong or that she was going to explain what she’d just said. Her accent was thick, and she mixed up phrases, but normally he understood what her point was. Tonight, he had no clue.
“Did your electricity go out?” he asked, trying to decipher her statement. “You want me to have dinner with you in the dark?”
“What? No! Not me. You don’t eat with me. You need to go to downtown and eat without the lights on. It’s for the singles week. Viv can’t go. She’s in the car. You need to go and tell me if it is good for singles.” She shoved a printout at him.
He looked down at the flyer.
Dining in the Dark
Come and join us for an evening you’ll never forget. Originated in Europe, dining in the dark is a concept that has been enjoyed for years. This unique culinary experience heightens your other senses, sharpening your sense of taste and enhancing the enjoyment of your meal.