Just two more weeks, I thought to myself. Starting a countdown wouldn’t help the time pass faster, but I couldn’t stop myself. I needed a way to keep my mind off Jayce.
It got harder—no pun intended—when we started texting more.
The first one, sent one evening while I was lounging in bed, was innocent enough:
Jayce: Mindy’s got fresh cinnamon rolls at the diner. She only bakes them once a month, so you’d better grab one while you can
Charlotte: UGH, that’s tempting but I just ate a Snickers bar that cost me $3 from the motel lobby.
Charlotte: I would much rather have a cinnamon roll! Maybe I’ll get one in the morning before we work.
Jayce: I hate to break it to you, but there ain’t gonna be any left in the morning
He was right—they were all gone by morning. Mindy shrugged and told me I needed to be faster next time.There won’t be a next time, I thought, checking the mental countdown clock in my head.
But over time the texts got more casual, and more personal.
Charlotte: There’s a dude on channel 3 who looks just like you!
Jayce: Devilishly handsome and hung like a horse?
I blushed at my phone screen, and wondered if he was bragging or just making a joke.
Charlotte: He’s cute, but they don’t exactly show full-frontal nudity on the evening news.
Charlotte: Turn it on and you’ll see what I mean. He’s got numbers tattooed on his arm just like you
Jayce: I don’t have a TV
Charlotte: Seriously? Weirdo
Jayce: Why would I have a TV?
Charlotte: To watch shows? Or sports? I bet you’d love Real Housewives of Atlanta
Jayce: I have no idea what that is, but I’ll pass
Then the textsreallyescalated.
Jayce: Whatchya up to tonight, Peaches? Anything fun?
I had just finished getting ready for bed: brushing my teeth, changing into pajamas, and rubbing moisturizer all over my face. But that wasn’t very sexy, and the words on my phone were tempting me to have some fun.
Charlotte: Why do you ask, Nosy McNoserson?
Jayce: Just making conversation with my favorite community service partner.
Charlotte: I’m taking a nice, relaxing bubble bath.
Jayce: Damn, Peaches. Now you’ve got my mind wandering.
Charlotte: Oh? What’s so exciting about a naked woman taking a bubble bath?
Jayce: All of it. Every word in that sentence. Even the punctuation.
Charlotte: Taking a bath is part of getting clean. There’s absolutely nothing sexy about it.
Jayce: That’s a lie. You want to send me a picture?