Page 16 of The Weight of Love
Yeah, of course. It’s push day. Got to wreck my chest and arms. Why, what’s up?
10:17 PM:
Cowboy: You don’t happen to have headphones and some pre-workout to spare, do you?
10:17 PM:
Of course, grab my keys off the shelf and help yourself. It’s out in my car.
10:18 PM:
Cowboy: Thanks, you’re the best.
October 22 – 1:02 AM:
Oh god, you have to listen to this new band I found. You’ll love it. Palaye Royale. Check them out.
10/10 in your lane based on what we talked about.
1:15 AM:
Cowboy: For sure, fam.
October 30 – 11:32 PM
Do me a favor and spot me?
11:33 PM:
Cowboy: Sure thing.
Chapter Eight
Halloween
Clark
It’s been over a month since we hooked up in Stella’s office, and I still sit here at night thinking about her. I can’t get her eyes out of my head. Whenever I think of her eyes, everything else that came with them comes rushing back, too, and I end up hard—every time.
It doesn’t help that we still see each other at the gym occasionally. She’s taken to wearing a hat while there with her hair in braids. It’s driving me insane, wanting to do things with them wrapped around my hands.
Of all the times spent sitting and dwelling on her, today was the worst. I had offered to volunteer with my friend Graham to help him set up the church fall festival stands weeks ago but forgot. Church activities and daydreaming about rough sex with my new fixation are a terrible combination.
My mind isn’t here. It’s miles away, wrapped up in her, and Graham has about had it with my excuses and attempts to avoid helping him.
“What is up with you today, dude? You just tried to hammer a screw.”
“Oh man, honestly, I don’t know anymore. I’m going to chalk it up to this mess with my orders. They’re delaying Japan again and want me up in Texarkana for the next several months.”
“But Japan is still on the radar?”
“Yeah, they lost the other logistics coordinator, and they don’t think they’ll have anyone else who can fill in without me there. I don’t know. They are still working on clearing it with locals since they don’t know who to replace me with either.”
“You sure that’s it, man?”
I turn around, intending to find an actual drill instead of a hammer or some nails to match the hammer, and my heart stops dead in my chest for a moment as I bounce off a startlingly familiar small shape with a jolt.
Stella.