“Maybe I want to hear you say it.”
I look at the closed door of my office. “Your tongue, for one.”
“What else?”
“Your fingers,” I take a breath, suddenly feeling hot, “and the way you know exactly what to do with your cock.”
He makes a frustrated sound. “You have such a dirty mouth.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do baby, and when I return, I’m going to do dirty things to it.”
I swallow. “I will miss
you,” I say softly.
There’s a long pause at his end. “Same here,” he says, “I have to go now, Rachel. Let’s talk later.”
He ends the call, leaving me wondering how I’m going to survive a week without him. It scares me, how dependent on him I’ve become. This has happened before, with Jack. It was less intense, less in every way, but still, when it ended I was devastated.
With Landon, I can’t even think of an end without wanting to cry.
At lunchtime, Laurie calls me on the office line, and we talk on the phone over my Chinese takeaway.
“Brett asked me out to dinner,” she tells me.
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“I don’t know,” she says, sounding worried. “I just have this feeling. I was so unreasonable last night. What if I pushed him too far? What if he wants to break up with me?”
The idea is ridiculous. “That’s the most unlikely thing that could ever happen,” I reassure her. “I mean, you guys are so in love it’s disgusting.”
She chuckles. “So what’s up with your boy toy?”
“Don’t call him that.” I sigh. “He’s gone to Europe.”
“Ha.” She teases. “So last night he was leaving his mark. Imprinting on you.”
I shake my head. “Go away. He didn’t even know last night that he would have to travel.”
“So that was a regular performance? Wow!” She laughs. “Seriously, I’m glad you’re having fun. He’s a nice guy, and I think he really likes you. Unlike some other guy I will not even name.”
She’s talking about Jack. I suddenly realize how long it’s been since I even really thought about him. At least Laurie had been right about Landon helping me get over Jack. “I didn’t tell you while I was in SanFran, but Jack came over to see me.”
“No, he didn’t.”
I tell her everything that happened, listening to her expressions of outrage.
“How could you not tell me?” She exclaims. “And that Jack… I’m sure he saw one of the pictures of you and Landon and it temporarily did something to his ego. Some guys just can’t stand it when a girl moves on.”
“Now you’ve done something to my ego,” I laugh. “Couldn’t it just be that he really felt something and wanted to get me back?”
“Yeah, so where has he been after the initial rush of passion that made him fly out to see you?”
“He said he was going to Argentina.”
“There are cell phones in Argentina, and internet, and Skype.” She snorts. “He’s probably taken up with some model or telenovela actress, as usual. Then when he comes back he’ll suddenly remember you.”