plate of food Paul brought and put it in the fridge. She walked into the living room to sit down, clicking the TV on. I joined her, leaving an appropriate space between us. I watched her more than the movie, thinking I wasn’t going to give into this fucked up thing called emotions. By the end of the movie, I realized I couldn’t fight it anymore. She crossed her legs in her lap and started rubbing her feet. She looked up when I patted the seat next to me. I waved my hand for her foot.
“Caleb, you’re not rubbing my feet.”
“Give me your damn foot, stubborn woman.”
She rolled her eyes but extended her feet toward me in an act of willful concession. I kneaded the arch of her foot. Her shoulders, her body, immediately relaxed under my touch. Her eyes fluttered closed as I concentrated deeply on working the tense muscles in her feet. Her eyes opened. She caught me staring at her. She exhaled.
“I think I should tell you something. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but men’s gossip and women’s gossip are not the same.”
“I don’t even know what that means.”
“I never slept with Steven.”
I faltered, disbelieving. “You didn’t?”
“Nope.” She shook her head and smiled. “It was actually funny. I could see why he’d spread such vicious rumors about me after I bruised his ego.”
“What’s so funny?”
“Well, he took me on a date and at the end, he tried to get on me in the backseat of his car. When he took … it … out, I asked him if they all were that small.”
A barrel of laughter came out from somewhere inside me.
“I had no clue! I was only sixteen!”
“What the fuck was he doing pulling out his dick to a sixteen-year-old?” I shook my head at the bastard.
“Well, I won’t lie, I was curious. I kind of wanted to see it, ya know? To see what one looked like in person, but it never went farther than that. And I’ve had to live my life every day since with the consequences of Steven’s inadequacy complex.”
“What does Tabitha see in him?” I didn’t think I’d intended to ask this question aloud, and I could see the sad smile cross Angela’s face at the very mention of the name.
“Money. Money she’d never get being a cop’s wife.”
My rubbing of her feet slowed. “Ouch.”
“Yeah, Tabitha’s a bitch. It’s well known.”
“I sure know how to pick ‘em.” I glanced in her direction, but her eyes shifted away.
“I’ve only slept with three men, Caleb,” she said softly. “One of them took my virginity and the other two were men I loved. That’s why I was such a pest around Tom. I did it on purpose. Truth be told, it was a huge mistake, but I was very tipsy and you’d already pushed me away.”
I moved her foot off of my lap, letting it drop as I stood up. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because … because I felt like I had to. You’ve been so nice to me even though you don’t have any reason to be.” She followed me into the kitchen.
“It’s my job, Angie,” I said, reaching into the fridge for another beer.
“Rubbing my feet isn’t a part of your job requirement, Caleb.”
I popped the cap off the beer and drank down the sweetness of relaxation. She didn’t need any stress or to see me getting riled up. She could see that I cared. She was on to me. Damn it. I walked passed her, back to the living room, but she stayed on me, following me back to our spot on the sofa. When she sat beside me this time, she kept her feet to herself.
“Did I wake you this morning?”
She looked at me and replied, “For once, you didn’t. You were even loud when we weren’t sleeping in the same bed. It was almost like you were trying to wake me up.”
So, she didn’t remember kissing me. “Did you dream last night?”
She turned her face away just before I saw her cheeks flush. “None that I can remember. It’s getting a little stuffy in here. I think I’m going to go lay down.”
She stood up and moved for the hallway toward
“Caleb, you’re not rubbing my feet.”
“Give me your damn foot, stubborn woman.”
She rolled her eyes but extended her feet toward me in an act of willful concession. I kneaded the arch of her foot. Her shoulders, her body, immediately relaxed under my touch. Her eyes fluttered closed as I concentrated deeply on working the tense muscles in her feet. Her eyes opened. She caught me staring at her. She exhaled.
“I think I should tell you something. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but men’s gossip and women’s gossip are not the same.”
“I don’t even know what that means.”
“I never slept with Steven.”
I faltered, disbelieving. “You didn’t?”
“Nope.” She shook her head and smiled. “It was actually funny. I could see why he’d spread such vicious rumors about me after I bruised his ego.”
“What’s so funny?”
“Well, he took me on a date and at the end, he tried to get on me in the backseat of his car. When he took … it … out, I asked him if they all were that small.”
A barrel of laughter came out from somewhere inside me.
“I had no clue! I was only sixteen!”
“What the fuck was he doing pulling out his dick to a sixteen-year-old?” I shook my head at the bastard.
“Well, I won’t lie, I was curious. I kind of wanted to see it, ya know? To see what one looked like in person, but it never went farther than that. And I’ve had to live my life every day since with the consequences of Steven’s inadequacy complex.”
“What does Tabitha see in him?” I didn’t think I’d intended to ask this question aloud, and I could see the sad smile cross Angela’s face at the very mention of the name.
“Money. Money she’d never get being a cop’s wife.”
My rubbing of her feet slowed. “Ouch.”
“Yeah, Tabitha’s a bitch. It’s well known.”
“I sure know how to pick ‘em.” I glanced in her direction, but her eyes shifted away.
“I’ve only slept with three men, Caleb,” she said softly. “One of them took my virginity and the other two were men I loved. That’s why I was such a pest around Tom. I did it on purpose. Truth be told, it was a huge mistake, but I was very tipsy and you’d already pushed me away.”
I moved her foot off of my lap, letting it drop as I stood up. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because … because I felt like I had to. You’ve been so nice to me even though you don’t have any reason to be.” She followed me into the kitchen.
“It’s my job, Angie,” I said, reaching into the fridge for another beer.
“Rubbing my feet isn’t a part of your job requirement, Caleb.”
I popped the cap off the beer and drank down the sweetness of relaxation. She didn’t need any stress or to see me getting riled up. She could see that I cared. She was on to me. Damn it. I walked passed her, back to the living room, but she stayed on me, following me back to our spot on the sofa. When she sat beside me this time, she kept her feet to herself.
“Did I wake you this morning?”
She looked at me and replied, “For once, you didn’t. You were even loud when we weren’t sleeping in the same bed. It was almost like you were trying to wake me up.”
So, she didn’t remember kissing me. “Did you dream last night?”
She turned her face away just before I saw her cheeks flush. “None that I can remember. It’s getting a little stuffy in here. I think I’m going to go lay down.”
She stood up and moved for the hallway toward
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