Succeeding Love

Lunch Plans

“I’m not ready for you to leave,” Lynn whined, her arms wrapped around my waist, lying on top of me.

I’ve been pinned in place. Not just by her, but her dog lying on my legs, making moving impossible.

I’m loving it.

Damn, she was so adorable. Even more when she was just in an old t-shirt and her hair was all messy from sleep.

“I’m not ready to leave either, baby. Maybe I should just not go. I can call in sick or something.”

She pressed her lips into my chest to hide her smile. “Missing your first day. What a model employee.”

“I think my boss would understand.” Especially if he saw her like this, but that would never happen. I’m gatekeeping this woman’s just-out-of-bed appearance for myself.

I couldn’t bring myself to let her go yet, so I just enjoyed the feeling of her in my arms for another ten minutes before starting getting out of bed again. Lying there and cuddling her, kissing her sweet-smelling hair, I thought of all the ways I can prolong my time here. What parts of getting ready for my first day of work could I cut out?

I didn’t need a shower. Did I really need to brush my teeth? Or do my hair? Could I just wear a hat?

I could rush to the courthouse and make it just in time if I didn’t stop to eat breakfast at all. Mom won’t like me leaving without something to eat, but it’s a sacrifice I’m more than willing to make for this woman. To prolong this blissful weekend with her.

Shit, it would be so much easier to just leave from here, but I had no more clothes to change into. I needed to at least run home for that.

“I really need to go now, baby,” I kissed the top of her hair. “I don’t want to, but I do.”

“Okay,” she sighed, leaning up to smile sweetly down on me. “I guess I can let you go. If I have to.”

“I wish you didn’t,” I groaned, squeezing her one last time.

As she was pressing her lips to mine, they lifted in an excited smile. “Do you get a lunch break today?”

I chuckled, following her train of thought. “I think they have to give me one. Why? What do you have in mind?”

“Well,” she wiggled excitedly, making parts of me involuntarily excited too. “There’s a good pizza place near the justice center. Or a good sushi place near the library. Or burgers… I know!” She lit up. “There’s this sports bar with an outer space theme. My sister and I have gone for drinks a few times before shows at the theater. I’ve always wanted to try their lunch menu.”

“A space themed bar?” I chuckled, knowing what bar she was talking about. It was quirky, and near the parking garage of where I’ll be parked. “Sounds fun. I’ll message you when I get to work and let you know what time I take lunch.”

“Yay!” She straddled me, kissing me deeply. We both had morning breath, but neither of us cared. Her kisses are sweet enough that the morning breath didn’t bother me one bit.

When I finally got my reluctant ass out of Lynn’s house and got ready enough to speed to work, I didn’t let the prospect of me getting a speeding ticket diminish my good mood. I was still all smiles as I skipped the busy elevator and took the stairs two at a time to the fourth floor, where I was meeting the retiring manager, Jerry, who would brief me for the next two weeks on my job duties.

Milton was in the meeting room too when I walked in, making for a few minutes of teasing banter before we actually sat down to discuss my duties.

This job would be easy compared to the places I served in the past. I was just a babysitter for the security teams, and everything seemed to run smoothly already.

Before Milton went off to leave me with Jerry, he asked me about my weekend with that knowing glint in his eyes.

“Do anything fun? Any, you know, dates or anything?”

I chuckled under my breath. “You could say that.” I scratched my chin, rough from not having the time to shave.

“I take it your date with your neighbor went well then?”

“I’d say so. It lasted until…,” I checked my watch, “about an hour and a half ago.”

“You stayed with her the entire weekend?” Milton sat up straighter, ready for the details.

Jerry chuckled, watching us. “You seem almost as excited about the man’s dating life as he is.”

“You don’t know this guy like I do, or you would be excited too.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I raised my eyebrows at my old friend.

Milton shrugged. “You’re you. You must really like the chick to spend the entire weekend with her.”

“When I was single, I could spend the entire weekend with a girl, and it could mean nothing,” Jerry scoffed, then looked at me. “And I’m not half as good looking a mother fucker as this guy.”

“Trude isn’t like that. He’s tried and trude, the prude,” Milton snickered at himself.

“Damn, I haven’t heard that in a long time,” I laughed.

Milton looked at Jerry and said, “Trude doesn’t do bachelor life well. He never took women home from the bar or anything. I was worried his man parts wouldn’t work anymore if he ever found a girl that would change him from his prudish ways.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me. “Go on. Tell me it still works.”

I sat back and smirked, not giving up any details. The details of my time with Lynn were none of his business.

“Come on,” Milton leaned forward. “Give me something.”

I chuckled. “Fine. We had a date Friday night at her place.”

“Yeee-eah you did,” Milton interrupted, dropping his tone suggestively.

“Shut up. It wasn’t like that. She cooked, and then we had a water gun fight outside before I went home.”

Milton looked at me like I was crazy. “What? Are you twelve?”

“Maybe,” I smiled widely. “It was seriously the best date I’ve ever had.”

“Man, I’ve been there,” Jerry laughed softly. “My wife has one of those soft dart guns she stole from the grandkids. She keeps that thing in her chair in the living room to shoot me if I snore on the couch. Sometimes I fake sleeping just because I like to hear her giggle when I wake up in a panic.” He smiled fondly at the memory. “Your girl sounds like a keeper, young man.”

“She is.” I’m keeping Lynn forever. I know it already.

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. But did you seriously just have a water gun fight from Friday night until this morning?” Milton didn’t seem content with just the water gun details.

“No. On Saturday, I went with her down to San Antonio to watch her son play in a tournament for high school baseball. I met both her kids officially for the first time. We got back late last night, and I stayed with her until this morning.” I smiled after running through the cliff-note version of my weekend.

“I guess it works,” Jerry laughed to himself. I just snickered.

“You even met her kids?” Milton seemed surprised. “Did they like you?”

“I think so. Her son, for sure, did.”

“Huh,” Milton seemed thoughtful now. “So, it’s serious?”

“Pretty damn serious. I like her a lot.”

“Well, I’m happy for you then. You deserve someone that can make your thing work again. I thought your ex made it shrivel up for good.”

“Screw you,” I scoffed.

“I’m just messing with you,” Milton laughed. “So, when do I get to meet her?”

“Why the hell would you meet her?”

“Because I’m your friend,” I faked being offended.

“So?”

“Come on, man. I’ve got to see the woman that the tried and trude prude into a smitten kitten.”

“A kitten?” I scoffed.

“You have got me curious now too, and I don’t even know you like that, prude Trude,” Jerry laughed.

I checked my phone, and there was a text from Lynn, a reply from mine I sent letting her know when I got here on time. She was asking about my lunch break.

“I have plans to meet her for lunch today.” I scratched the back of my head.

Milton and Jerry exchanged a look, then Milton asked, “Where are we going?”

~

Feighlynn

“Be a good boy.” I squatted down and scratched between Kevin’s ears. Then I hugged him tightly, a burst of excitement shooting through me.

I feel like a teenager again. I’m giddy and eager to see Vin, even though it’s only been four hours since he left in a rush for work.

He was so funny to watch as he was rushing from his house to his car. I was just starting my walk with Kevin, and even though Vin was running late, he still pulled up beside me and demanded a kiss.

A few neighbors saw us, but that’s okay. Now that my kids are aware, it’s not like I want to keep dating my sexy neighbor a secret any longer.

I think after this past weekend, we’re both fully committed to dating one another. I wasn’t sure before, but hearing him demand that I say I’m his as he relentlessly took me repeatedly had a lasting effect. I really felt like I am his and he is mine.

“Eek!” I squealed, squeezing my dog tighter. He barked and licked the side of my face, excited too, though he did not know why.

“Okay, boy. I really need to go.”

Vin will go to lunch at one. I have little time. I wanted to get there a bit early to get a big table. He said he was bringing his boss and a few officers, too. I offered to just stay home so he could bond with his new colleagues, but he insisted I be there.

I was nervous about meeting people he would work with. I’m trying to keep a casual mindset about the whole thing, but it seems like something a new girlfriend shouldn’t intrude on.

But then again, we aren’t two young ducks anymore. I’m already committed to this, and I know he is, too. I guess that makes it less weird, and maybe even a little romantic. He still wants me to meet him, even if others are around.

Jeez, I hope I don’t do something stupid, like squirt mustard down my shirt or sneeze in the chip bowl. Nick used to coach me before we would meet with his work friends for anything, just to ensure I didn’t step out of line with my filterless mouth. I don’t think Vin cares as much about public opinions, but my experiences with Nick still leave a sour taste in my mouth.

As I was grabbing my bag and keys and headed for the garage, the doorbell rang. Kevin went nuts, like he always does. It took me a second to calm him down and pull him back.

“It’s just a delivery!” I told him, knowing the mail carrier stops by about this time almost every day.

When I knew he was done with his protective fit, I cracked open the door, staring down at the mat to see what package was left.

Instead, I found a pair of men’s oxfords. I followed the legs to the shoes up and had to resist the urge to groan when I saw Nick standing there.

“You’re not a package,” I said almost accusingly.

“No. I am not. You sound disappointed,” he smiled.

I am, but saying that would be rude. “Do you need something?” I said instead. “I was just about to leave.”

That took the smile right off his face. “Oh, uh, leave for where?”

I quirked my lips to the side of my face, not sure if I wanted to tell him. I haven’t seen or talked to him since Preston’s game, and I didn’t really want to talk to him now. “I have lunch plans,” I simply said.

“Oh.” His shoulders slumped forward slightly, his face full of disappointment. “I was stopping by to see if I could take you out to lunch. I guess that wouldn’t work then.”

“Nope,” I sighed, not sure why he would want to have lunch. We’ve not had lunch or done anything without the kids involved together since we separated. “I’m sorry, Nick, but I really have to go. If you need to talk to me about something, can it be later?”

“Sure. What about dinner? Tonight?”

“It’s a Monday night. The kids will need laundry done and I have a list a mile high of other things I need to do for them. Can I just call you sometime tomorrow?” I checked the time on my watch. I had an hour still, but the traffic during lunch was sometimes a pain. I needed to leave soon to make sure I got there early.

Nick shuffled awkwardly on his feet. “I’d really like to talk to you sooner rather than later, Fay. This is, uh, kinda important.”

“Important or not, I don’t know if I’m comfortable meeting you alone for any meal. Arlene wouldn’t appreciate it either.”

“That’s kinda what I wanted to talk to you about,” he mumbled. “I’m… I’m not with Arlene anymore.”

“Oh,” I said awkwardly. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah,” he shifted nervously on his feet again. “I’m not sorry to end it at all. It was a mistake.”

A mistake? The break up was a mistake, or did he make a mistake with Arlene where he got kicked out? Is that why he needed the condo?

I didn’t have time for this.

“Are you just needing someone to talk to about the breakup?” I asked, going out on a limb. I was growing anxious about the time and wanted to finish this quickly. “If so, I can call you after I get done with lunch, but I really need to go.”

His brows shadowed his eyes as he frowned. “Are you meeting him? That guy?”

I bit my bottom lip, sensing his hostility towards Vin. It’s unwarranted, and I wasn’t sure how to tell him that.

“Fay, please,” Nick took a step forward, reaching out to grab my hand. “Please, stay and talk with me. Don’t go see him.”