This Couldn't Have Been An Email

The below story is my entry into the Letters of Love 2022 Story Event headed by SisterJezabel. The crux of the story revolves around a series of notes and letters, although there is a good amount of prose serving as sinew tying the story together.

This story follows up on the events of "Come As You Are," my sprawling Novels and Novellas tale. In the final volume, renowned video game streamer Sadie Bedford reunites with her high school classmate Garrett West during their ten-year reunion. The pair had shared a brief and intense erotic chemistry on several occasions throughout the decade and hoped to rekindle their relationship despite the efforts of Garrett's high school tormentor Danny Eastman, whose abuse continued after graduation to the point where Garrett fled town and didn't return for several years.

The two men settled their differences in a series of high-stakes pool games. Garrett emerged as the victor in that contest, hustling Danny for seventy-five thousand dollars as well as his pride. The evening had concluded with Sadie and Garrett celebrating his triumph in the best way possible - with hot, wild, passionate sex that left her muscles deliciously sore.

Romantic novels and movies often end with the couple together and madly in love. Rarely does anyone ask 'what comes next?' Intense chemistry can lead to toxic conditions. This story is my brief attempt to look at such a couple trying to figure out what to do once the end credits roll.

Thank you to SJ, PM, CT, NF, ML, and as always the men and women of Arrow Aerodynamics!

X X X X X

Sadie felt her lover's arm slide away from her stomach. "No," she murmured as she grabbed the wayward limb and returned it to the proper position. "You're fine where you are."

"It's after 6 AM," whispered Garrett. "I have to go swimming."

She lazily draped both arms around his firm body. "We went to bed two hours ago. You have to be sleeping, not swimming."

Despite his groan of disagreement, Garrett pulled Sadie close to him and nuzzled her neck. "I never miss a day if I can help it."

"Then don't stop letting yourself not help this morning."

"Huh?"

"I can't be any more clearer without caffeine."

Sadie smiled sleepily as Garrett laid a gentle kiss against her cheek. "I'll bring you back a cup from Cappucino City."

As the sun rose over the mountain resort town of Emerald Pines, Colorado, the lovers lay underneath a heavy quilt in the middle of Garrett's living room. The ashes in the fireplace were all that remained of the fire that illuminated the rekindling of their brief high school fling via several hours of intense lovemaking that left Sadie physically and emotionally satisfied.

She ran her fingers through Garrett's brown hair, the strands unkempt due to a combination of bedhead and sex hair. "If you're not too sore to swim," she told him while gazing into his emerald green eyes, "then I failed at fucking the shit out of you."

"I'll be popping Advil like candy today, so don't worry about that." Garrett closed his eyes and sighed while she played with his hair. "I work until 6:30 tonight, then I have to come here and finally get around to unpacking. If I don't go swimming now, it'll throw off my entire vibe for the day."

"I get it." Her fingers trailed down the back of his neck, along his lean shoulder, and over his firm pecs. "If swimming every day is what makes you look so good, not snuggling with you for as long as I'd like is a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

A wan smile preceded his soft, lingering kiss. It was almost enough for Sadie to wrap him up once again, however, she restrained herself while Garrett got to his feet. Rolling over onto her stomach, Sadie's eyes fell upon his tight, sculpted butt as he gathered up his scattered clothing. "Do you want me to bring you back breakfast?" he asked.

"How about this? You come back here and have me for breakfast, and then we'll get dressed and go out for breakfast."

"I'm on board with that."

Sadie nodded and put her head down. She immediately began drifting back to sleep, only to be awoken several minutes later by the front door closing, followed by the sound of Garrett's car pulling out of the driveway, leaving her alone in his house.

She rolled over, arched her back, and stretched out with a content purr. "Garrett West," she proclaimed. A content grin touched her lips as she recalled the events of the past weekend. Wrapping the quilt around her naked body, she got to her feet. At this point in her normal post-coital checklist, she'd be slipping her panties on and slipping out the door without waking whomever she hooked up with the night before. This morning, however, she wandered to the nearby bay window. It had snowed while they slept. The bright winter sun shone down from a blue sky, painting the fresh snowfall a gleaming, shimmering white. She turned around and took in the sparse living room, which contained a wooden futon with a blue cushion, a large flat-screen TV, and nothing else.

Garrett mentioned that the stuff he hauled up from Florida was still in the garage. She should take a peek and see what she'd be working with. If she was going to be coming over regularly, they'd need furniture. Having sex on the floor was not a viable long-term option, nor was the futon. A couch would be nice, and a coffee table a necessity. What kind of bed would they be banging in? Hopefully, at least a queen. And snacks. She'd need to make sure she had her favorite snacks on hand, plus polyisoprene condoms, clean underwear, and of course, a toothbrush...

"What the hell am I doing?" Sadie murmured before realizing what the hell she was doing. Before she knew it she was snatching up her discarded clothing and throwing it on as quickly as she could. It wasn't until she had jammed the fancy bra and panties she had purchased the day before in her purse and was pulling her shirt down over her bare chest that she remembered that Garrett would be expecting her to be there when he got home. She took out her phone to text him, only to be greeted by a black screen. Holding down the power button brought up an empty battery and a flashing lightning bolt.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding." Panic was setting in as she shoved it back into her purse before pulling out a crumpled takeout menu from Joey R's and a tube of red lipstick. Spreading the trifold across the kitchen counter, Sadie used the lipstick to scrawl a hopefully readable message.

Had to run. Talk to you later. -S-

The winter air bit at her nose when she stepped outside. Sadie kept to the side streets while she hurried back to her apartment. Her heart pounded in her chest from both physical and emotional exertion as she tried to figure out what the hell she was going to do.

X X X X X

Colette smiled as Garrett stepped through the front door of Candy by Colette. "Right on time. I thought for sure Sadie was going to make you late."

"That was the plan," Garrett said as he took off his purple parka. "She took off this morning, though, while I went swimming. We were supposed to go out for breakfast, but she left me a note saying she had to run."

"She left you a note?"

"She used lipstick and a Joey R's takeout menu. That's kind of weird, isn't it?"

"For Sadie, definitely. She always sends a text. The one time I remember her leaving a note, it said she sent a text."

"She told me last night that she had a packed schedule today. She probably just wanted to get a head start. I'm sure she'll text me later." Garrett smiled, but Colette had enough battle scars on her heart to recognize the fresh wound he bore. She caught the haunted look in his eyes, a look he had tried to banish since his return to Emerald Pines. "Anyway, I'm here for my shift and ready to work. What needs to be done?"

"Dee Dee swept and mopped last night before she locked up, so nothing really." Colette looked around the candy store before gesturing towards the swinging door behind the counter. "I have to place an order today with Front Range Confectionary. Check the stock and make a list of what's low. I'll yell if I need a hand. "

Garrett grabbed a cup of coffee from the pot before heading to the back. Colette waited a few moments before pulling her smartphone out of her apron pocket and rattling off a text to her best friend.

Colette: Are you OK? Garrett said you took off this morning.

She was pouring her second cup of coffee of the morning when the sound of a golden coin from Super Mario Bros came from her phone.

Sadie: I had to get a jump start on the day. But I left him a note.

Colette: Yeah. You left him a NOTE. Are you OK?

Sadie: My phone was dead. I was playing 'Chrono Trigger' on it yesterday and forgot to shut it down before the pool match. It ate my battery.

Colette: You're not answering my question. Are YOU OK?

By the time Colette had added milk and an unhealthy amount of sugar to her coffee, her phone was ringing. "Hey," Colette answered, phone in one hand and hot coffee in the other. "Where are you?"

"I'm driving to Aspen," Sadie answered. "I have a meeting with my accountant and I figured I'd head up early."

"You never head anywhere early." Keeping her voice low, Colette headed towards the front of the store. "Talk to me, Goose. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Ok, something. Actually, everything. I was standing in the middle of his empty living room looking around, and the next thing I know I'm running out the front door without underwear on. I panicked, Colette. I panicked, pulled a Garrett, and ran."

"Don't say that, even as a joke. So what happened? Garrett didn't... he wasn't a creep or tried to hurt you, did he?"

"God, no! You and I both know that boy is an absolute gentleman. And he drilled me last night like he was exploring for oil. Insert your own joke about gushers here."

"I'll pass. What set you off?"

"Don't judge me. I told myself that I needed to leave a toothbrush at his place."

It took Colette a few seconds to process her friend's answer. "Oh. Oooooooooooooh." She sat down on the front windowsill. "Yeah, OK, I'm with you."

"I'm standing in his living room thinking about furniture. Then I thought about needing to bring over some extra condoms, snacks, and a toothbrush, and the next thing I knew, I was out the door. The only reason I remember leaving a note is that I used the last of my lipstick to write it."

Anxiety rushed through Sadie's voice like a winter gale as she continued. "I've never thought about leaving a toothbrush at the place of someone I just fucked. No matter how many times I've gone home with the same person, knowing I'd be going home with them again at some point, I'd rather deal with morning breath or steal their mouthwash. The only other place in Emerald Pines I have a toothbrush is your house, and you and I haven't hooked up since your sophomore year of college."

Colette smiled at the memory before focusing on the conversation at hand. "It sounds to me that you had a brief panic attack at the thought of maybe moving too fast..."

"I panicked at the thought of moving at all! Before this weekend, I hadn't seen Garrett in seven years, and we both said we wanted to take it slow. But one night of jaw-dropping sex later and I'm mentally placing furniture like I was playing The Sims!" Sadie sighed on the other end of the call. "How's Garrett? Was he upset?"

"It's Garrett," Colette laughed softly. "He doesn't get upset, he internalizes. He's hurt, though. I can see it in his eyes."

"Damn it. What am I going to do, Colette?" Sadie pleaded. "I like the guy. He looks at me and doesn't see Sadie Plays, famous Twitch streamer with great tits. He sees Sadie Bedford, bright, creative gamer girl."

"With great tits."

"Yeah, with great tits." Colette could hear the smile attempting to creep into Sadie's voice. "My heart skips a beat whenever I look at him while my panties surrender to gravity. I want to barrel full speed ahead like Sonic on meth, but I'm scared."

"Then tell him. When you come back from Aspen, come in here and tell him."

"No way. I promised you I would never bring my drama into your store."

"You did," Colette agreed, "and thanks for holding yourself to it." She rubbed her face. She knew this might happen. She loved Sadie, but the girl had spent the past decade as a high-octane turboslut. And Garrett had finally discovered his self-confidence after twenty-eight years. Their burgeoning relationship walked on a high wire, and right now they were working without a net.

"Here's what you're going to do. When you get to Aspen, send Garrett a text and a cute selfie. Let him know you're thinking about him. This afternoon, after you meet with your accountant, you're going to sit down and write him a letter."

"A letter?"

"A letter. You're not going to do this over text, and you're not going to do it in person where your vagina's gonna dictate terms. You're going to write a letter and just pour it out without anything getting in the way."

"I guess I could do that," Sadie said hesitantly. "I do have my laptop with me..."

"Nope. Ink and paper."

"What? I haven't written anything except my signature in years!"

"This isn't something you can edit and run through Grammarly."

"Shit. Alright, I can do that. But it's not going to be pretty."

"It shouldn't. It should be messy and honest, which is how you've always lived your life."

"I have, haven't I? Thanks, Colette. I owe you one."

"Fuck that. We've been best friends for nearly twenty years, plus you stayed with me for three months after my parents' funeral. This is what friends do."

"It is. OK, I'm about to hit Aspen. Gonna park and find a stationary store. What do you suggest, blue ink or black?"

"That's all up to you, girl."

"Yeah, it is all up to me, isn't it?"

X X X X X

"Do you need anything else?"

Colette shook her head. "It's six-thirty-one. You're off shift."

"Yeah," Garrett protested, "but..."

"You're off shift," she gently remarked. "Anything that's left to be done, we can take care of it."

He put his hands up in surrender. "I'm not used to a boss that kicks me out when my shift's over."

Candy by Colette had done a surprisingly brisk business that Monday. With two hours until closing, there were a handful of customers grabbing a mid-evening snack and a group of tourists loading up on sweets to bring back from vacation. Garrett, as usual, had been a studious employee, especially after getting a text from Sadie once she had arrived in Aspen. Colette had gotten a text from her friend as well. It had come in an hour earlier and brought a hopeful smile to her face once she read it and saw the accompanying picture. "What are your plans for the evening?" she asked.

"Sadie's streaming tonight. Hopefully, she'll text me when she's done and we can hang out. Until then, I'm going home and bringing boxes in from the garage. Maybe some furniture too. I should be able to get most of it, though I'll need Vienna's help for the bigger pieces."

"As long as you don't give my girlfriend a hernia." As Garrett threw on his parka, Colette added, "Don't forget to check your mail when you get home. Not your email, but your actual snail mail."

"Why?" he scoffed. "I haven't changed my address yet. It's been nothing but junk mail meant for my parents before they retired to New Mexico."

"Trust me." The serious tone of Colette's voice grabbed Garrett's interest. He looked at her keenly as she said, "Check your mail when you get home. Say it."

"I'll check my mail when I get home."

"Again."

"I'll check my mail when I get home."

"One more time."

"With feeling? I'll check my mail when I get home."

"Good. See you tomorrow at 1 PM. Good night, Garrett."

"Good night, Colette. I'll check my mail when I get home."

She playfully stuck her tongue out. "You know repeating yourself is a sign of insanity, right?" Garrett laughed and waved goodbye before heading out the door into the Rocky Mountain night air. "Alright Sadie," Colette said quietly. "For both your sakes, I hope you wrote one hell of a letter."

X X X X X

Garrett unceremoniously dumped the pile of junk mail onto the kitchen counter. He hadn't checked the mailbox at the end of the driveway since Thursday, and there was a large collection of envelopes addressed to his parents, despite them having changed their address to their new home in New Mexico several months earlier. There were entreats from AAA, AARP, USAA, and AIG, as well as a bevy of brightly colored offers in official-looking envelopes from loan and credit card companies. There was one envelope, however, that stood out by virtue of its simplicity. It was a plain white 4 x 9 envelope, with four words scrawled across the surface in green ink.

To: Garrett

From: Sadie

His stomach twisted in knots as he stared at the envelope. Colette had said that Sadie never left notes, yet here was her second note in one day. Maybe she was having second thoughts about giving them a try and was trying to let him down gently. Why else would Sadie have run off that morning?

The envelope had heft to it. He slipped his finger under the flap and easily tore it open. Inside was a folded letter consisting of several pages. He smoothed it out next to the pile of junk mail and, with butterflies kicking up a stiff breeze in his stomach, began reading the words that had been messily written on plain white paper with emerald ink.

X X X X X

Garrett,

I'm sitting in the Starbucks in Aspen, waiting to meet with my accountant, and I'm doing something I don't think I've done since high school. Colette said I needed to write you a letter to explain why I took off this morning. No email, no text, no dropping in while you work. I don't know if this is the best way to do this, but I trust her. I always have. And she knows me. She always has.

Here goes. I panicked and took off running. I pulled a you.

X X X X X

That sentence had been scratched over, but the words were easily legible and still stung. At this rate, "pulling a Garrett" would end up local slang.

X X X X X

See? If this was an email, I could have edited that out. I was standing in your living room after you left, and I felt happy. Content. Satisfied. I can't remember the last time I felt all three simultaneously. I had to look up that word on my phone to make sure I was spelling it right. Does using Google as spell check count as cheating? Fuck it, I'll consider it a walkthrough.

I was thinking about furniture. Screwing on your living room floor was fun, but my back hurts enough hauling my boobs around, and futon sex is right out. I was seeing a couch in the corner, maybe moving that flatscreen TV so you could watch it from the kitchen, and then I was thinking about Cinnamon Frosted Pop-Tarts. You subscribe to my stream, you know they're my go-to snack. I told myself to make sure I had some on hand the next time I came over and wanted something to munch on. I was also gonna need clean underwear. A girl's gotta have emergency bra and panties. And emergency polyisoprene condoms because of my latex allergy.

Then I thought about leaving a toothbrush at your house. Next thing I remember, I was running for the door.

X X X X X

The butterflies in his stomach ratcheted to gale-force levels while Garrett reread those two sentences. He forced himself to take a deep breath before grabbing a glass of water from the sink. Sipping the cold liquid gave him enough courage to continue reading.