Page 5 of Sweeter Than Fiction
“There’s my girl! What are you doing?”
“Watching Bluey.”
“Where’s Mommy?”
She just shrugs her shoulders before starting to ramble on about a game she’s playing on her tablet. When Jill had Kaylee, I’d spend as much time as I could hanging out with her. It about killed me when I moved away. Now, I have to settle for video calls and spoiling her from afar.
I hang onto every word she says even though when she gets to talking fast, I only pick up on about half of them.
Life is so much easier when you’re a toddler watching Bluey and eating snacks. I wish I was there doing it with her.
Finally, I hear Jill’s voice. “Kaylee Sue, what did I tell you about taking my phone without telling me? I’ve been looking for it for an hour.”
The screen shakes as Kaylee holds up the phone. “Uncle D.”
“Why didn’t you come get me?”
Kaylee responds with, “He called to talk to me.”
Jill takes the phone and tells her daughter to head upstairs to get her PJs on. “Your dad’s waiting for you,” she says before turning her attention toward me. “Sorry. I had no idea she had my phone.”
“It’s alright. I called to talk to her anyway,” I tease.
“Haha. What are you up to? No hot date tonight?”
“Eh, I did. But it’s over already.”
“Damn. That bad, huh? Or were you just a Two-Pump Chuck?”
Gasping, I reply, “Uhm, I’m offended. That part was fine, but it was the only part that was fine.”
“Aw, I’m sorry. You’ll meet Mrs. Right someday.”
“At this point, I’d settle for someone who I could have a decent conversation with for more than five minutes.”
“Well…” she stops in the middle of her thought. “Maybe you need to change the way you’re doing things.”
Running a hand over my face, I press, “Oh, here we go. Alright, let me have it.”
“You’re too focused on all the dating apps and the bullshit. I know for a while, you were fine with just hookups. And that’s alright. But now that you want something more serious, you’re doing the exact same thing. Same strategy as the hookups.”
When she sees the confused look on my face, she continues, “Maybe it’s time you start thinking with your heart rather than what’s swinging between your legs.”
“Easier said than done,” I interject.
“Maybe you should be celibate for a while.”
“Oh, now you’re just talking crazy.”
“I’m serious. Don’t have sex with someone until you have a real genuine connection with them. Go on a few dates without jumping into bed.”
I’m tempted to tell her I think she’s lost her mind but maybe Jill is onto something. She and her husband are some of the most nauseatingly in love people I’ve ever seen. Maybe she has the whole thing figured out.
Taking a little bit of a sex break may not be the worst thing in the world.
Now, who is going to break the news to my dick?
Chapter Three
