seemed to have no clue what they were doing. “And…we had a good time and I’m driving up to meet her rather than waiting until she goes back home.”
“Ah, come on! You have to give me more than that.”
“I used my police issue handcuffs on her.”
“That’s more like it, give me more.”
“I’m not giving you details, you perv.”
“Even if I beg?”
“Even if.”
“Fine, let’s talk about me then. Are you still up for a visitor?”
Vacations were hard for Toby. His wife had also been a teacher and they’d taken a trip every summer, something they planned together. The first summer after she’d died, Toby had spent the whole vacation at Drew’s house. The second year he’d stayed home, and Drew had gone up to visit for a long weekend. This year Toby had decided to do a summer trip on his own, but he was starting off with a short stay at Drew’s.
“Of course. I took a couple of days off work. Looks like the weather will probably hold for a nice sail.”
“I think you’re right. You going to invite your new friend along?”
“We’re not dating. We’ll be playing tonight, and hopefully she’ll be up for doing that again. But don’t get the wrong idea. We’re not starting a relationship.”
There was a long pause. “Well, you’re definitely starting a relationship, but not the kind you mean. I get that. Well, actually no, I don’t get that. Why are you determined to limit the type of relationship you might have?”
“Okay, it’s a relationship. A club relationship.”
“Without the club.”
“The actual setting isn’t really the point, it’s the attitude and expectations.”
“Exactly.”
Neither spoke for a minute and Drew tried to expel the irritation that was building. “I like club relationships. I like keeping things within those boundaries. I don’t see any reason to change that.”
“Like meeting the right woman?”
“Emma is a great person, we had a lot of fun. I’d like to continue having fun with her. But no, I’m not interested in introducing her to my parents, or my coworkers, or whatever it is that people expect when they’re in the kind of relationship you’re talking about.”
“The kind of relationship where you share your lives together?”
“Yeah, that kind.”
“Does she know that?” Toby’s voice was sharp, surprising Drew. They’d had similar conversations, once before Caroline had died, and once after.
Drew sighed. “I’ll make sure we’re both clear on what we want before we set anything else up.”
“So, how about introducing her to me? Are you going to use my visit as an excuse to not see her?”
“How about you let me have this, our second encounter, before you get too far ahead of yourself?”
Toby sighed again. “Fine.”
Drew changed the subject before his friend could go off on another tangent. “Have you mapped out the rest of your trip yet?”
Toby only hesitated a moment before describing the Civil War sites he planned on visiting. This first real trip alone was going to be tough and Drew wished he could make it better for his friend.
“Toby, are you sure you don’t want some company for all that?”
“You know you would hate this kind of trip. I’ll be fine. I’m not ready to think about a relationship myself, but unlike someone I know and love, I’m aware that I need to live my life and not get hung up on only thinking about the worst that can happen.”
“Toby. That doesn’t even make sense.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll shut up. For now. I’ll see you in three weeks.”
When he’d hung up, Drew jerked the Bluetooth out of his ear and dropped it on the passenger seat. When Caroline had been alive, he’d begun thinking it would be nice to find someone like her in his life. Someone permanent, someone to share the good times and the bad. Since he’d long before determined he couldn’t risk inviting someone in the lifestyle into his professional life, he figured he should give vanilla dating a
“Ah, come on! You have to give me more than that.”
“I used my police issue handcuffs on her.”
“That’s more like it, give me more.”
“I’m not giving you details, you perv.”
“Even if I beg?”
“Even if.”
“Fine, let’s talk about me then. Are you still up for a visitor?”
Vacations were hard for Toby. His wife had also been a teacher and they’d taken a trip every summer, something they planned together. The first summer after she’d died, Toby had spent the whole vacation at Drew’s house. The second year he’d stayed home, and Drew had gone up to visit for a long weekend. This year Toby had decided to do a summer trip on his own, but he was starting off with a short stay at Drew’s.
“Of course. I took a couple of days off work. Looks like the weather will probably hold for a nice sail.”
“I think you’re right. You going to invite your new friend along?”
“We’re not dating. We’ll be playing tonight, and hopefully she’ll be up for doing that again. But don’t get the wrong idea. We’re not starting a relationship.”
There was a long pause. “Well, you’re definitely starting a relationship, but not the kind you mean. I get that. Well, actually no, I don’t get that. Why are you determined to limit the type of relationship you might have?”
“Okay, it’s a relationship. A club relationship.”
“Without the club.”
“The actual setting isn’t really the point, it’s the attitude and expectations.”
“Exactly.”
Neither spoke for a minute and Drew tried to expel the irritation that was building. “I like club relationships. I like keeping things within those boundaries. I don’t see any reason to change that.”
“Like meeting the right woman?”
“Emma is a great person, we had a lot of fun. I’d like to continue having fun with her. But no, I’m not interested in introducing her to my parents, or my coworkers, or whatever it is that people expect when they’re in the kind of relationship you’re talking about.”
“The kind of relationship where you share your lives together?”
“Yeah, that kind.”
“Does she know that?” Toby’s voice was sharp, surprising Drew. They’d had similar conversations, once before Caroline had died, and once after.
Drew sighed. “I’ll make sure we’re both clear on what we want before we set anything else up.”
“So, how about introducing her to me? Are you going to use my visit as an excuse to not see her?”
“How about you let me have this, our second encounter, before you get too far ahead of yourself?”
Toby sighed again. “Fine.”
Drew changed the subject before his friend could go off on another tangent. “Have you mapped out the rest of your trip yet?”
Toby only hesitated a moment before describing the Civil War sites he planned on visiting. This first real trip alone was going to be tough and Drew wished he could make it better for his friend.
“Toby, are you sure you don’t want some company for all that?”
“You know you would hate this kind of trip. I’ll be fine. I’m not ready to think about a relationship myself, but unlike someone I know and love, I’m aware that I need to live my life and not get hung up on only thinking about the worst that can happen.”
“Toby. That doesn’t even make sense.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll shut up. For now. I’ll see you in three weeks.”
When he’d hung up, Drew jerked the Bluetooth out of his ear and dropped it on the passenger seat. When Caroline had been alive, he’d begun thinking it would be nice to find someone like her in his life. Someone permanent, someone to share the good times and the bad. Since he’d long before determined he couldn’t risk inviting someone in the lifestyle into his professional life, he figured he should give vanilla dating a
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