Page 19 of One Bet

She scrambled back to her side of the car, buttoning and panting, as I rolled down the window, chest still bare, hard on still at full attention.

We’d just been interrupted by the school chaplain, Avery’s landlord.

13

Avery

The diner was one of those mom-and-pop cafes with a black and white checkerboard floor, red leather booths and stools, and white Formica with gold glitter tabletops. A counter ran in front of a kitchen window, and the waitresses all wore pink dresses and little headpieces like old-time nurses used to wear. I’d worked here during my last two semesters at Glouster after Chaplain Dunn kicked me out of his garage apartment.

The sound of the waitresses shouting their orders through the window and pouring coffee from steaming pots without any additions of foam or whip and the clink of silverware made me feel young again. Younger when Keaton, who could’ve still passed for a guy in his twenties, came back from the bathroom and slid into the booth.

He smiled. “I should’ve known you’d pick here.”

“I like the atmosphere.” Homey, nostalgic, with Keaton. Which shouldn’t have mattered since he was leaving in a few days and heading back to his life of football and supermodels.

“I like that hallway.” He pointed to the corridor that led to the bathrooms on one side and the kitchen on the other. “I kissed a really pretty blonde waitress in that hallway.”

He twisted. “And that back booth,” he turned toward me again, “and on that counter.”

Even ten years later, I still heated up with the onslaught of memories. “It wasn’t on the counter, it was at the counter.” And it was a memory best left ignored, but holy shit, it was a good memory. So good I had to shift to relieve the pressure low in my belly.

“In my dreams that night, it was on the counter.” He grinned.

“You think they’ll let us do a…” He shook his head and shrugged. “A re-enactment for old time’s sake?”

Those were some good old times even if it had only been three days. “I’m a teacher now, I should probably keep my re-enactment in my pants.” Though I could admit I still had some residual fantasies that involved this diner and Keaton.

“Damn, I knew I should’ve gone for it back then.” His voice dropped low, sultry, so tempting. “Could’ve ticked that box off the bucket list.”

“You need a better bucket list.”

He laughed but reached across the table to take my hand from my menu and hold it in his. “I missed you, Avery.”

I didn’t point out that I wasn’t the one who moved or that hadn’t changed my number in all these years, or that he’d been the one who started the beginning of our end. I smiled instead. “I missed you, too.”

He gave my fingers a squeeze then let go. “No, you didn’t. But that’s okay. We didn’t end things so well.” I shook my head because I didn’t know what to say. “But we’re both here now and what happened was a long time ago.” His thumb stroked my palm and the touch sent a thousand familiar, but exciting, sensations straight to my core. “We could start over.”

My body screamed yes at the top of my lungs, but my brain shut that shit down. I couldn’t set myself up for the Keaton roller coaster ride. Besides, he was leaving again. “Let’s just enjoy this week the way we did before. Without the bad ending this time.”

He tilted his head.

“Okay.” He nodded and picked up his glass of iced tea. “To this week and whatever comes after.”

I chuckled. “You’re so pushy.”

And because I knew it, I could protect myself against his promises of after. But for now, I wanted to enjoy this week. To go back to that time when everything was good and fun. When I didn’t know real heartbreak, and this time, I would protect myself. Not fall for him, but there was nothing wrong with simply enjoying time with another person.

So, I picked up my glass and clinked it with his. “To this week.”

“Still so tough.” He shook his head but smiled as he drank.

But he was wrong, I wasn’t still so tough. Maybe I was still naïve or ignorant. But I wanted him and I was an adult now with no illusions about what would be or could be. This time, I was going in with my eyes wide open.

One Decade Ago

The boat was huge, opulent, fancier than anywhere I’d ever laid my damned head. The crystal chandelier probably cost more than a semester’s tuition and it was on a boat for crying out loud. I sure as hell didn’t belong here. “I can’t stay here, Keaton.”

“Just until you find somewhere to live, okay?” He ran his hands from my shoulders to my wrists then brought my knuckles to his mouth and kissed them softly, his gaze never leaving mine.