Charming!” She sighed dreamily. “They look so in love.”
Rebecca punched her playfully. “Sadly, you’re correct. Even though I know I’m probably wrong, I’d like to think there really is a man out there that is moderately attractive, employed, non-abusive, faithful, single, and straight. And I’m waiting for him.”
“I don’t know, Becca. That’s a pretty long list. You may be waiting a long time.” Sara joked.
Their tequila shots arrived, and Callie handed them each a glass and lime wedge.
“What should we drink to?” Tara asked.
“Girlfriends!” Callie responded. “Because the opposite sex is just not as reliable as girlfriends!”
Laughing, they each licked their wrists, sprinkled the salt, and clinked their glasses.
Three hours later, Tara waved good-bye to her friends as she unlocked her door and went inside. She briefly considered going to bed since she wasn’t too steady on her feet.
Michael’s words from their previous conversation meandered through her mind. “I’ll wait.”
Slipping off her shoes, Tara went over to the computer and flipped it on.
She really shouldn’t be talking to him after a piña colada, four—or was it five?—shots of tequila, and two strawberry daiquiris. But Michael had said he’d wait. Tara pictured him sitting in his bed, staring at his computer and waiting for her to log on and talk to him. With a frustrated groan, she looked at the clock on the bottom of the monitor. Twelve-thirty. He would probably be asleep anyway, so it wouldn’t hurt to try.
Tara entered her password, positioned the webcam, and sent a chat request to MDavis0401. In less than a second it was accepted, and her screen started to load his image.
“Hi.” Surprise laced her voice. “I didn’t think you’d still be up.”
Michael blinked sleepily at the computer. “I was hoping you’d try anyway.” He ran his hands through his hair with a nervous smile. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Tara swayed slightly in the chair. “I’m not in the best condition right now. We went to Graffiti’s tonight and had some drinks. It was karaoke night.”
Michael grinned at the screen. “And did you karaoke?”
Tara gave a huge, mischievous smile. “Yeah.”
“And what did you sing?” he asked, still smiling at her.
“ Good-bye Earl !” She giggled, remembering how every man in the bar had cringed when the music started.
He laughed with her and said, “Figures. I suppose that was Rebecca’s idea?”
Tara’s expression turned sour. “Nah, we all agreed on it. Besides, Rebecca has a right to sing it. She caught Dillian with some tramp. That’s why she divorced him. Why would any man cheat on a woman like Rebecca?”
Michael lifted one eyebrow and said, “I can’t answer that question in any way that wouldn’t make you mad at me.”
Tara absently fingered one of the beads on her shirt. “Yeah. And truthfully, it wouldn’t take a whole hell of a lot to make me mad at you.”
Michael gently said, “And that’s why I plead the fifth.”
Tara looked back up at him and said, “I’m still mad at you for what you said when I told you I was pregnant.”
He looked stricken. “Tara, I didn’t mean that.”
“Whether you did or not, it still hurt.” She sighed. “And honestly, it still hurts. A lot.” Now why the hell did I tell him that?
“I know. And I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back. I wish…hell, I wish a lot of things.” He ran his fingers through his hair again.
“Michael?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you ever, you know, think about me? After you left?” Tara was uncomfortable asking, but she’d always wondered. With a little alcohol in her system, she actually had the nerve to find out.
“All the time. I called your cell phone a few times when I was deployed right after Madelynn was born. I guess you changed the number, though. After awhile, I just gave up. I don’t know if I would have ever tried again if I hadn’t…well, if I hadn’t lost my
Rebecca punched her playfully. “Sadly, you’re correct. Even though I know I’m probably wrong, I’d like to think there really is a man out there that is moderately attractive, employed, non-abusive, faithful, single, and straight. And I’m waiting for him.”
“I don’t know, Becca. That’s a pretty long list. You may be waiting a long time.” Sara joked.
Their tequila shots arrived, and Callie handed them each a glass and lime wedge.
“What should we drink to?” Tara asked.
“Girlfriends!” Callie responded. “Because the opposite sex is just not as reliable as girlfriends!”
Laughing, they each licked their wrists, sprinkled the salt, and clinked their glasses.
Three hours later, Tara waved good-bye to her friends as she unlocked her door and went inside. She briefly considered going to bed since she wasn’t too steady on her feet.
Michael’s words from their previous conversation meandered through her mind. “I’ll wait.”
Slipping off her shoes, Tara went over to the computer and flipped it on.
She really shouldn’t be talking to him after a piña colada, four—or was it five?—shots of tequila, and two strawberry daiquiris. But Michael had said he’d wait. Tara pictured him sitting in his bed, staring at his computer and waiting for her to log on and talk to him. With a frustrated groan, she looked at the clock on the bottom of the monitor. Twelve-thirty. He would probably be asleep anyway, so it wouldn’t hurt to try.
Tara entered her password, positioned the webcam, and sent a chat request to MDavis0401. In less than a second it was accepted, and her screen started to load his image.
“Hi.” Surprise laced her voice. “I didn’t think you’d still be up.”
Michael blinked sleepily at the computer. “I was hoping you’d try anyway.” He ran his hands through his hair with a nervous smile. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Tara swayed slightly in the chair. “I’m not in the best condition right now. We went to Graffiti’s tonight and had some drinks. It was karaoke night.”
Michael grinned at the screen. “And did you karaoke?”
Tara gave a huge, mischievous smile. “Yeah.”
“And what did you sing?” he asked, still smiling at her.
“ Good-bye Earl !” She giggled, remembering how every man in the bar had cringed when the music started.
He laughed with her and said, “Figures. I suppose that was Rebecca’s idea?”
Tara’s expression turned sour. “Nah, we all agreed on it. Besides, Rebecca has a right to sing it. She caught Dillian with some tramp. That’s why she divorced him. Why would any man cheat on a woman like Rebecca?”
Michael lifted one eyebrow and said, “I can’t answer that question in any way that wouldn’t make you mad at me.”
Tara absently fingered one of the beads on her shirt. “Yeah. And truthfully, it wouldn’t take a whole hell of a lot to make me mad at you.”
Michael gently said, “And that’s why I plead the fifth.”
Tara looked back up at him and said, “I’m still mad at you for what you said when I told you I was pregnant.”
He looked stricken. “Tara, I didn’t mean that.”
“Whether you did or not, it still hurt.” She sighed. “And honestly, it still hurts. A lot.” Now why the hell did I tell him that?
“I know. And I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back. I wish…hell, I wish a lot of things.” He ran his fingers through his hair again.
“Michael?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you ever, you know, think about me? After you left?” Tara was uncomfortable asking, but she’d always wondered. With a little alcohol in her system, she actually had the nerve to find out.
“All the time. I called your cell phone a few times when I was deployed right after Madelynn was born. I guess you changed the number, though. After awhile, I just gave up. I don’t know if I would have ever tried again if I hadn’t…well, if I hadn’t lost my
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