Let Him Cry Pt. 02

"Sure, Lauren," I answered. "Another would be good."

Three hours later, she slid bonelessly down beside me with a contented sigh, one arm draped lazily across my chest. "I make a mean breakfast?" Her tone made it a question.

I looked over at her.

She shook her head. "Don't worry. I'm not some psycho bitch who's already trying on your last name for size. It's just a hookup. But a warm body for the night would be nice."

"Sounds good."

"Can I snuggle?"

At my nod, she settled closer, one leg bent up and over mine so that I felt shaven — a first for me — warmth against my upper thigh. "If anything comes up tonight," she said with a straight face, "wake me."

In the morning, I woke up long before she was stirring. Construction hours and bar hours are radically different schedules. I nudged her awake gently.

"All right," she said drowsily, rolling to face me. I felt her legs part.

"Hey. You're really sleepy."

"It's early," she mumbled with a smile. "It's okay though. I said you could wake me."

"How about you sleep, and I skip breakfast?"

She came more awake at that. At her questioning expression, I shook my head. "No. I'm not trying to bail. I'm just wide awake and I think you'd like to sleep. When do you normally get up?"

"Nine."

"It's not even seven."

She groaned and rolled back. Turning her head, she searched my face for a second. Then she nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

"Thank you."

Her mouth puckered. "Want a blowjob before you go?"

I slid out of bed. "Yes, but I'll let you sleep instead."

That earned me a chuckle. "You have a nice butt," she said as I grabbed my clothes and headed for the living room.

"So do you," I said over my shoulder.

"It's skinny."

"It's biteable."

She laughed outright. "Stop in again some night."

I took Ruth's advice on the way home. I discounted their differences: they looked nothing alike, talked nothing alike, tested the waters about my interest differently. Even Lauren's uninhibited enjoyment of some good old-fashioned screwing contrasted with Caitlyn's more constrained attitude. I discounted Lauren's invitation that was neither meant to be nor understood to be a big deal. I discounted the advice-dynamic that had colored my relationship with Caitlyn.

Putting all that aside, what did I have left?

I had a pleasant post-getting-laid contentment and a desire for some strong coffee, exactly what I'd felt the last few weeks.

I thought back to a blustery April morning a decade ago, walking across the quad, knowing there was absolutely nothing I wanted more than for classes to end that day so I could go back to Liv. Yeah, because I wanted to sleep with her again, but even more because of the warm feeling of just wanting to be with her.

"I want that," I said out loud to nobody.