Terms and Conditions

Pick a place. Any place with running water and Wi-Fi.”
She looks around the room and under her desk.
“Searching for a hidden camera?”
The faintest smile crosses her lips. “Either that or a wiretap. Just to be clear, I have never nor will I ever take drugs. Whatever green substance you might find in my room is definitely Cal’s.”
“Funny,” I reply dryly.
“Do you ever laugh?” she asks.
“Only when I make people cry.”

Cal: Did you ever get around to thanking my father for your impromptu honeymoon yet?
Me: I’ll be sure to send him a thank you basket when I get back.
Cal: Should I tell him to look out for a faint ticking noise?
Me: Don’t ruin the surprise! That’s the best part.

I smile in return as I lift my flute in the air toward Declan. “To the vacation I desperately needed.”
He begrudgingly grabs the other. “And the honeymoon I never wanted.”
I tap my flute against his. “Cheers!”

“It was wrong of me to make you work on your day off.”
I deflect with humor, hoping to ease the tight ball forming in my chest. “Yeah. You’re right. It was a total dick move.”
The moonlight highlights his small smile, making the whites of his teeth stand out. “You have such a foul mouth.”
“Is it just me or do you seem to have an unhealthy obsession with my mouth lately?”
“Who says it’s unhealthy?”

“Someone is mighty eager to get going today,” I call out to him after grabbing my backpack with all my supplies. The sun hasn’t risen yet, so I’m stuck sticking close by Declan’s side, using the lamps on the dirt path to guide us toward the meet-up location.
“The sooner we get out there, the sooner we get this over with.”
“Please keep your excitement to a minimum. I’m afraid the experience won’t live up to your hype.”

“It was stupid of me to say. I’m sorry.”
“You know how I feel about apologies.”
“Unless they’re blood sacrifices made in your honor, don’t bother.”

My chest aches for the children who grew up with such a cruel father. If only I could go back in time and throw a real punch.
Cal’s gaze narrows. “Don’t look at me that way. I don’t have nearly as many daddy issues as the other two.”
“That’s because you have a whole host of other problems.”
“It makes me layered.”
“No. It means you need to seek therapy.”

“I booked us a reservation for two at La Luna with a table overlooking the river. It took a lot of finagling to get one at the last minute, but I know a guy.”
“Does his name happen to be Benjamin Franklin?”
I grin. “Bribes work wonders. You taught me yourself.”

After days of limited contact, I feel starved for his attention.
Starved for his attention? Maybe you do have workplace Stockholm syndrome after all.

His access to my mouth isn’t taken for granted. He explores like a man on a mission, using his tongue as a brand onto my very soul.