“I like when you tease me… sometimes.”
“Hm. Well, hopefully, by the end of this, you’ll love it as much as I do.” She yawns. “Or maybe not because then it’ll be less fun.”
“Wow.” I sarcastically drag out as I close my eyes.End.The end of us working together is a possibility, depending on how it all plays out. But it sounds like she’s sure of it.
“End?” I whisper.
“What?” She whispers back.
“You said, end. As in, we fail.” The line is silent for a bit. “Scout?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think this will work? Our tech?”
“Our?”
“Yeah, don’t let it go to your head.”
“I’ll try not to let it… and yeah, I think it’ll work.”
“Then why—”
“If I get my hopes up, I might be disappointed with the outcome.”
“What outcome?”
“My own success.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. You’re the smartest person I know.”
“What about yourself?”
“I’ll take second place if it means you believe in your abilities.” It’s silent again, and this time I don’t call her name to get her attention. I feel calm knowing she’s on the other line, and my body is beginning to give in to the little images dancing on the back of my eyelids. I’m still hard as hell, but for some reason, I’d rather fall asleep to her voice and her breathing on the phone than relieve the ache of need for her.
As I’m drifting to sleep, my phone pressed between my ear and pillow, I think I hear her whisper, “Goodnight, Tito.” And just like that, I’m out.
5
SCOUT
“Fuck.” I grumble groggily as I tumble off the side of my futon and hit the floor with a thud. As I groan and untwist myself from my sheets and reach up to check the time on my side table. 6 a.m. My head is pounding, my mouth is so dry, and Tito will be waiting for my late ass by now.Shit. Tito.
“Tito?” I call, remembering I fell asleep on the phone last night. And the kiss before that, at the restaurant. I take a deep breath and let it out, not just air, but the entire idea of me with him. I hear mumbling from somewhere under my couch, and I drop to my knees, throwing my covers about and shaking them until I hear my phone drop on the wood floors with a thud.
My finger swipes over the screen as I pick it up, and I notice the call length time, 7 hours and eleven minutes.Shit, I never hung up.
“Hello?” I press it to my ear.
“Morning.” His voice is scratchy and deep. It makes me smile.
“Morning,” I say back as I walk to the bathroom like I’m in the clouds, when in reality, I feel as though I’ve been hit by a truck.
“Are you still in bed?” He asks.
“No… you?” I flick on the light and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I look worse than I feel, with puffy eyes and lips, skin blotchy and tired looking.
“Yeah, I am.”