to, but I want you to know there is nothing I want more right now than to kiss you.” And if I was a complete jack wagon I’d kiss you and not care if you wanted me to or not, he thought. Her still damp hair smelled like citrus and all he could think was that she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. No makeup, a simple t-shirt, and thin pajama bottoms.
“I…” Her words trailed off.
Levi rubbed his thumb across her cheek, brushing a tear that fell. “It’s okay, Maggie.” He softly kissed her forehead and stepped back as Gary burst into the room.
Maggie pushed past Levi and briskly walked to the bathroom. She splashed her face with some water and mentally yelled at herself. What is wrong with you, Maggie? When she came out, it was like nothing had happened. Whatever tension had been in the air had evaporated.
The three of them sat on the back patio eating pizza, talking, and laughing until it was so dark all you could see were stars.
Fourteen
Sonja slithered into Levi’s room and sat on the edge of his bed watching him sleep. He smiled in his sleep. She ran her fingers through his hair and he leaned into her hand. “Hey, sleepy head.”
Levi grunted. He wished Sonja would stop trying to be more than just insurance against dating questions. “Hey,” he said, yawning.
“So you want to hang out with me today?”
“I can’t.”
“What? You and Hairy got something planned?”
“Don’t call him that.”
“You’ve never had a problem with it before.”
“I do now, so stop.”
“Okay. I’m sorry.”
Levi heard the words, but the way she said it he knew she didn’t mean it. He turned over so he didn’t have to look at her.
“Look, I just wanted to spend some time with you. What’s the problem?”
“The problem is, you and I are never going to be more than whatever it is we are and you keep trying to push me into something.”
Sonja curled her lip and rolled her eyes. “I’m not trying to push. Let’s just go for a walk in town, get a bite to eat, just hang out,” she said as sweet as she could muster.
Levi rolled onto his back and rubbed his face. Sonja scooted closer and placed her hand on his chest. They looked at each other a moment. She bent down and tried to kiss him. He looked away and she straightened.
“You’ve never had a problem with me kissing you before.” She drew circles on his chest with her finger. He took her hand and moved it to her lap. “It’s that Maggie girl, isn’t it?”
“What? No. Maggie has nothing to do with this.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“I just think you are getting the wrong idea.”
“You’re the one who wanted me around, ya know? So you could avoid all those prying questions about your love life? Your marriage with Rachel?” Sonja threw the jab knowing exactly what she was doing.
“Don’t talk about that.” Levi sat up, immediately awake and bristling with anger.
“Why? Because your little feelings might get hurt? Does that Maggie girl know?”
“Because it’s a good way to get your butt thrown to the curb? You’re the one needing a place to stay because you’ve blown all your money and haven’t been cast in anything in a year. Try showing up to work on time and maybe you’ll get a callback.”
Sonja stood and snarled. “You know, you really are pathetic. Lovesick because you caught your girl in bed with another guy. Really? It’s been three years. Get. Over. It.”
“Get out Sonja. Leave now.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re just mad ‘cause the truth hurts. Maybe you should just crawl into bed with that Maggie chick and get your rocks off so you can go back to being the soon-to-be has-been who doesn’t care what he does.”
“If you have any desire to keep a roof over your head, you’ll get out of my room, out of my sight and you’ll stay that way for the next week or so.”
Sonja spun on her heels and left in a huff. The stench of her overbearing perfume was all that was left in her
“I…” Her words trailed off.
Levi rubbed his thumb across her cheek, brushing a tear that fell. “It’s okay, Maggie.” He softly kissed her forehead and stepped back as Gary burst into the room.
Maggie pushed past Levi and briskly walked to the bathroom. She splashed her face with some water and mentally yelled at herself. What is wrong with you, Maggie? When she came out, it was like nothing had happened. Whatever tension had been in the air had evaporated.
The three of them sat on the back patio eating pizza, talking, and laughing until it was so dark all you could see were stars.
Fourteen
Sonja slithered into Levi’s room and sat on the edge of his bed watching him sleep. He smiled in his sleep. She ran her fingers through his hair and he leaned into her hand. “Hey, sleepy head.”
Levi grunted. He wished Sonja would stop trying to be more than just insurance against dating questions. “Hey,” he said, yawning.
“So you want to hang out with me today?”
“I can’t.”
“What? You and Hairy got something planned?”
“Don’t call him that.”
“You’ve never had a problem with it before.”
“I do now, so stop.”
“Okay. I’m sorry.”
Levi heard the words, but the way she said it he knew she didn’t mean it. He turned over so he didn’t have to look at her.
“Look, I just wanted to spend some time with you. What’s the problem?”
“The problem is, you and I are never going to be more than whatever it is we are and you keep trying to push me into something.”
Sonja curled her lip and rolled her eyes. “I’m not trying to push. Let’s just go for a walk in town, get a bite to eat, just hang out,” she said as sweet as she could muster.
Levi rolled onto his back and rubbed his face. Sonja scooted closer and placed her hand on his chest. They looked at each other a moment. She bent down and tried to kiss him. He looked away and she straightened.
“You’ve never had a problem with me kissing you before.” She drew circles on his chest with her finger. He took her hand and moved it to her lap. “It’s that Maggie girl, isn’t it?”
“What? No. Maggie has nothing to do with this.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“I just think you are getting the wrong idea.”
“You’re the one who wanted me around, ya know? So you could avoid all those prying questions about your love life? Your marriage with Rachel?” Sonja threw the jab knowing exactly what she was doing.
“Don’t talk about that.” Levi sat up, immediately awake and bristling with anger.
“Why? Because your little feelings might get hurt? Does that Maggie girl know?”
“Because it’s a good way to get your butt thrown to the curb? You’re the one needing a place to stay because you’ve blown all your money and haven’t been cast in anything in a year. Try showing up to work on time and maybe you’ll get a callback.”
Sonja stood and snarled. “You know, you really are pathetic. Lovesick because you caught your girl in bed with another guy. Really? It’s been three years. Get. Over. It.”
“Get out Sonja. Leave now.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re just mad ‘cause the truth hurts. Maybe you should just crawl into bed with that Maggie chick and get your rocks off so you can go back to being the soon-to-be has-been who doesn’t care what he does.”
“If you have any desire to keep a roof over your head, you’ll get out of my room, out of my sight and you’ll stay that way for the next week or so.”
Sonja spun on her heels and left in a huff. The stench of her overbearing perfume was all that was left in her
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