“I’m looking for Chase. I left something here the other night.”
The other night… That’s a lie. Chase hasn’t brought anyone home in a long time. But I’m not going to point that out. “He’s not here, so whatever you left, you’ll have to come back for another time.”
I’m about to swing the door shut, when she places her hand on it. “I’ll only be a second.”
I sigh. “What is it you left?” Maybe I can find it for her and then send her on her slutty stiletto way.
She smirks. “My dildo.”
It takes everything in me to keep a straight face. “Your dildo?” I heard her the first time, but I’m hoping she made a mistake.
“I’m sure you know how kinky Chase is…” She winks. “If I could just grab it, that’d be great. It’s expensive and my favorite.”
A lump forms in my throat. Too many times I heard the noises through the too-thin walls, so I know how sexually active Chase is, but it’s hard to hear about it from the mouth of one of the women he’s been with, knowing I’m not active at all.
“You’ll have to ask Chase for it.”
“I would, but I lost his number.”
Or he didn’t give it to you…
Grabbing my phone from my back pocket, I call him.
“Hey, butterfly,” he says when he answers.
My heart pitter-patters in my chest at his nickname for me, and for a moment I forget why I’m calling. Until the woman clears her throat at the same time Chase says, “Georgia? Everything okay?”
“Yeah. There’s a woman here for you, named…”
“Charleigh,” she says.
“Charleigh left her dildo in your room and would like it back because it’s expensive and her favorite.”
“Fuck,” he curses. “Georgia…”
“Do you want me to go into your room to get it, or give her your number?”
“Do not give her my number,” he says quickly. “I never gave it to her.”
I didn’t think so…
“Fuck, umm… fuck!” he hisses. “Can I talk to her?”
“Okay,” I tell him, handing her the phone, while mentally patting myself on the back for remaining calm, cool, and collected.
She says hello in the most obnoxious, nasally way, and I have to force myself not to roll my eyes.
“But, Chase, it was a hundred dollars,” she whines. “How about if we meet up and—” He must cut her off because she stops talking and glares at me. “Okay, fine,” she says with a huff before handing me back the phone. “He said I can go in his room and get it.”
“Go for it.” I open the door and let her in.
I hear Chase’s voice, so I put the phone back up to my ear, realizing he didn’t hang up. “Hello?”
“I’m so sorry. I told her she can grab what she left. Fuck, I’m—”
“It’s okay,” I say, not wanting to argue in front of Ms. Dildo. Not that there’s anything to fight over. Chase has a past. I knew that.
A moment later she comes sauntering out of his room, holding a bright blue huge-ass dildo. She doesn’t say a word, just glares, and then she’s out the door.
“Georgia,” Chase says. “You there?”
“Yeah, she just left…”
“I hate that I’m at work. Can we talk when I get home?”
“Chase, stop,” I tell him, trying to shake the image of him shoving that huge dildo inside her. “It’s okay. There’s nothing to talk about.” And then, because I’m awkward as fuck and can’t stop talking, I add, “But maybe if you’re holding anyone else’s sex toys hostage, you could give them back. Maybe put out an ad for them to come get them…” It’s meant as a joke, but it totally falls flat, making me sound jealous and petty. “I’m just kidding. I have some work to do. I’ll see you later.”
He says okay, sounding sad as hell, and then we hang up.
Since cooking has become something I really enjoy doing, I look up my bookmarked recipes I haven’t made yet and get to work making a creamy chicken pasta.
While I’m cooking, I can’t stop replaying what happened in my head. When I think about what exactly is bothering me, I come to the conclusion that it’s not because he’s been with other women, but because he hasn’t been with me. And since my plan was to wait until I’m in love, he’ll be waiting some time. I don’t believe he would cheat on me, especially not after having been cheated on himself, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to be left feeling unsatisfied.
When I finish making the food, there’s way too much, and it’s then I realize I doubled the recipe, making enough for the guys at the station, like I often do. I consider whether to bring them the food. I don’t want to distract Chase at his workplace. I also don’t want things to be awkward, but maybe showing up there with food will be like a little peace offering. “It’s okay you shoved monster-size dildos into your one-night stands…” Oh geez, I seriously need to lay off the jokes, even if they’re only in my head.