Page 23 of Moments in Ink
I always did.
I was dressed and ready to go, my water filter changed. I put all thoughts of seriousness and relationships out of my head. I had other things to worry about than a nonexistent relationship with a woman I enjoyed but didn’t want anything serious with.
Aaron was already seated at a table by the window, talking with a woman with short, spiky, red hair and a woman with dark, glorious, chestnut brown hair.
“Well, we have extra tickets if you’d like to join us,” one of them said, and I held back a snort. Of course. Aaron couldn’t walk around without somebody hitting on him. It was what he was used to, whatIwas used to with him, for that matter.
Aaron smiled, but there was strain at his eyes, and I didn’t know where it originated from. “Sorry, ladies, my date’s here.” His gaze met mine, willing me to go along with it, and I held back a sigh before going to him, kissing his cheek, and running my hands through his hair. I knew he was grimacing, even if he was smiling at the same time, because I was messing up his hair.
“Hey there, baby boo.”
“Oh. You’re with him?” one of the women asked.
“Yes, but I do loan him out every once in a while. If the price is right.”
“Really?” the redhead purred, and Aaron reached around and gripped my thigh, pinching me just enough to make me swallow a squeal.
“I’m not for sale, ladies. Despite what my woman here says. Isn’t that right, pumpkin ass?”
“Pumpkin ass?” one of the women said before she giggled. They waved goodbye, whispering to each other as they walked off.
“Pumpkin ass?”
“You were trying to sell me to the lowest bidder, I needed a good name for that,” he said.
“I thought it was the highest bidder so I could make some money?” I said, kissing him on the temple for real before taking a seat across from him.
“Well, I assumed you’d want to make me degrade myself completely, so I went with lowest.”
“You’re not wrong there,” I said, laughing. “So, why couldn’t you tell the women you weren’t interested?”
“I tried. But they wouldn’t listen because they thought I was teasing. And I’m pretty sure they both asked me out. Together.”
“Well, they were pretty.”
“And a good decade younger than me.”
“They were in their teens?” I asked.
“Pretty sure they’re barely eighteen but dressed to make themselves look older. I’m not going to jail if they’re under eighteen.”
“Oh, wow. I did not catch that.”
“Yeah, but now they’re probably going back to their senior class, or their freshman college class, to tell them about the woman who’s selling off men.”
“It’ll be a story.”
“Sure, but if I meet them again, I’m still not for sale.”
“So you say,” I said with a laugh before changing the subject. “I love it here. I’ve only been here a few times, though. Mostly because I haven’t been back in town for long enough.”
“I’m glad you’re back, Meredith,” Aaron said, turning serious for a minute.
Echoes of the dream washed through me, but I smiled and pretended like nothing was wrong.
“Of course, I’m back. I’ll always come back for my honey boo. That’s what pumpkin asses do,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. “We really aren’t good at the whole cutesy name thing, are we?”
“Not even a little,” Aaron said, shaking his head.