Page 23 of The Next Day


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How was that going to work when she went on gallery tours? When he was no longer a muse, but a brick that smashed her creativity? Or when he realized she wasn’t what he’d wanted after all? That she was needy and moody and opinionated? Getting caught up in the fireworks was blinding; and she’d been burned so bad by the blasts of her past.

She sealed her eyes shut and tried fruitlessly to not imagine indulging, just to experience what she knew they would be capable of together. She was great at casual dating, sex, enjoying the company of a decent man. But there were those few she had met, like Zane, that set her heart on fire.

By late morning, Zane stumbled out of the bedroom, head in his hands to block the chipper birds and bright sun. She’d showered, brushed, changed, and curled up with a book. Cozy in the corner of the couch, Freya adjusted her coffee and set her book down.

He scowled when he saw her, “You didn’t have to crash here.”

“Yes, I did. You looked like hell.”

While he stopped in the bathroom, she poured him a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice. Pulling out a frying pan, she got started on a big greasy breakfast to absorb some of that liquor.

Feet shuffling across the floor, he looked like a beat-up sexy teddy bear, all drippy from the shower, rumpled and ripped. He parked at the stool where she’d set out his hangover coffee and juice. After a testing sip of coffee, he looked up at her, “You don’t have to make me breakfast, too. Bad enough I acted like an ass last night.”

“The worst you did was call me pretty and compliment your own kissing skills.”

“I remember. It takes a hell of a lot more than that to make me forget a gorgeous woman in a little black dress,” he grinned, his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

She cracked the eggs and added some milk and cheese, fluffing them up, enjoying the sizzle as she poured the savory mixture into the pan. “I suspect you needed to let go a bit. When’s the last time you did something reckless? Alcohol-related or otherwise?”

He snorted, then gulped down the juice until only the lingering pulp coated the side of the glass. “Long time.”

“You were due. Sometimes it’s good to make stupid mistakes. Reset the bar a little.” She’d made more than her fair share of mistakes; not learning from them would be downright moronic.

“Maybe.”

“No offense Zane, but you’re less of a mess than you think.”

She scooped a heap of scrambled eggs into a bowl and slid it toward him, dishing up another for herself.

Inhaling, he closed his eyes before digging in. “We’ll see. I’ve got a hell of a lot of memories from a great military career, both good and horrible. Sometimes I think I should have stayed until retirement like I’d originally planned, but I was so fucking done. And now? Now I’m a thirty-four-year old unemployed, divorced, socially-awkward nobody crashing at his only friend’s parents’ apartment while I come up with something to do with the rest of my life.”

“So, you don’t have a dream right now. That’s okay. You could use a break, some time to find yourself again. You’ll figure out what you want.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re living your dream.”

“I am. And now I’m home again, another dream that doesn’t jive well with my career. As glad as I am to be home, I’ve got so much work ahead of me, to keep this going. It wouldn’t be hard to lose everything I’ve accomplished.”

“But you know what you want.”

“Mostly.” She held her bowl in one hand, her fork in the other, and leaned against the opposite counter. Stuffing her mouth full with a huge bite, she shrugged, unsure what to say. That she felt lost and found all at once? Being home was amazing, but selling her work was going to be so much harder.

“Do you still need a date to the wedding?” He didn’t look up, but ate another bite. Why was he so hard to read? Did he want to go? Or was he just feeling guilty?

“I think I’ll go alone. Let them know I don’t give a shit what they think.”

He swallowed another bite and chased it with a gulp of coffee. “Whatever you think. But it’s not like I’ve got anything else going on right now.”

“Are you sure? I mean, it won’t be fun. It will be a gigantic party filled with family I haven’t seen in years.”

“Lake Tahoe you said? I’ve never been, but I’ve heard it’s beautiful. We can go as friends, maybe make out a little, nothing major, then we can go hiking, swimming, whatever.”

She grinned and rinsed her bowl out before adding it to the empty dishwasher. “Make out?”

“I’m not saying it’s why I’m offering to go with you, but let’s face it, it’s going to happen.”

“The hotel is all booked up. Think we can bunk together and not go beyond making out?”

“I’ll do my best, but no promises.” He glanced down between his legs and shrugged, “This poor guy hasn’t seen much action in the last… way too fucking long.”