Page 13 of The Deadbeat DILF
“I’m more of a coffee-and-banana type of person, but there’s nothing like a bowl of cereal at midnight before bed.”
He grinned at me, and it transformed his face, making him look younger. “Agreed,” he said.
We discussed our favorite cereals, and despite our age difference of almost twenty years, our childhood favorite was the same: the rainbow-colored stuff that claimed to be fruit-flavored but really was just sugar.
We grabbed two boxes.
A little further down the aisle was the coffee and tea. “Ooh, I need to stock up on this,” I said, reaching for my favorite brand of green tea. I always had a cup every night before bed.
I wasn’t particularly short at 5 foot 7, but even the top shelf was out of reach for me. I got on my tippy toes, stretching out my arm as far as I could. Just as my fingertips grazed the front of the box, I felt the heat of another body behind mine.
Robert easily reached over me and grabbed the box of tea off the shelf. Even though he’d been careful not to touch me, I shivered, as if he had.
What was with me? Even the smallest thing was making me flustered.
I’d be living with Robert until he found a new place. Sure, he was a man — a tall, built, handsome man. But I couldn’t blush every time he was near me. I had to get myself together.
“We need maple syrup,” Robert said after popping the tea into the cart, oblivious to my thoughts. “I make a mean batch of pancakes.”
I pushed my embarrassment away and smiled at him. “Pancakes for dinner tonight?”
Robert lifted an eyebrow at me, the corner of his mouth turning up in a grin that I could only describe as sexy. “I like how you think.”
“To surviving another week. Cheers.”
I smiled as I clinked my mimosa glass against Alison’s and Emilia’s. My friends and I made it a point to have brunch on Sunday as often as our schedules allowed, and it was always great to see them since we were so busy during the week.
I’d met Alison and Emilia in college, and we’d instantly become close because we were all ambitious. Now, Alison was the CEO of her own marketing firm, and Emilia had an amazing job at a finance company. We’d all achieved our dreams.
Sometimes I wished I could go back in time to college when we’d study all night at the library together.
Don’t worry, I’d tell our younger selves.You’ll make it.
If I could travel back in time, I’d also visit my high school self. She’d be locked in her room, studying hard, trying to block out the TV blaring in the living room.
Keep working hard,I’d tell her.You’re going to achieve all your dreams. You won’t live here anymore. You’ll live in a huge apartment in the city. It’ll be clean and quiet and peaceful.
Emilia took a hearty sip of her drink. “I needed that,” she said. “I’ve had the worst week at work.”
“What happened?” Alison asked.
“Just my awful, irritating, infuriating coworker,” she said. “Even though we’re at the same level, he acts like my manager. He thinks he’s all that just because he’s…” she trailed off.
A slow smile spread over my face because I knew Emilia well enough to know exactly what she was thinking.
“Because he’s hot?” I finished.
She glared at me. “He’s not that attractive.” She took another sip of her cocktail. “Anyway, work’s the reason I’m drinking today.”
Alison and I shared an amused look, but we knew better than to push. Emilia had a habit of ranting about a certain coworker before clamming up and refusing to talk about it.
“What about you, Alison?” I asked. “Any news?”
“Not really. Work’s been good, the same as usual. I saw Cameron’s family yesterday, which was lovely.”
Almost a year ago, Alison had started dating Cameron. He had been her executive assistant, and she’d had a crush on him for years. It was only after they got involved that what she felt for him was love, not just lust. There’d been a lot of drama, but eventually, everything worked out. Cameron was no longer working for her, but for another company, and they were really happy. They’d moved in together a few months ago, and I suspected they’d get engaged soon.
“Did they come to you, or did you go to them?” Emilia asked.
