Stay Longer Read online

  “No worries,” Ingram said, standing up. “And let me know if you want to check out those puppies. They’ve been going like hotcakes.”

  I’d almost forgotten. “You think it would help me?”

  “Puppies are the answer to every question.”

  True wisdom, right there. “What kind is this puppy?”

  Ingram grinned. “A Labrador-husky mix. You’ve never seen a dog this cute, trust me. Come meet her tonight. You don’t have to take her unless you like her.”

  Me with a puppy? I could picture it… if I squinted a little. “All right.”

  *

  Ingram and I waited for a few minutes outside his friend Taylor’s house. When he arrived, Ingram gave him a playful shove.

  “Nice of you to show up,” Ingram said.

  “You could’ve texted to let me know you were here. Come on in.” Taylor opened the door.

  I slipped off my fall jacket and went inside.

  Taylor introduced me to the dog he’d been walking, and then to the tiny puppy she’d recently given birth to. I held her little body in my palms. She was a brownish-beige dog with the most adorable ears. She looked up at me bravely, and her eyes made me melt.

  I had to take this dog. The longer I looked at her, the more I felt the need to have her in my life. She was teensy-tiny and perfect. Everything she did made me laugh, from her barely-audible yips to the way she wagged her little tail.

  As I told Taylor I’d take her, I realized this puppy was going to be the closest I’d had to a girlfriend in a long time. I shook away the thought. There was nothing to feel bad about. I hadn’t devoted much time to my search for love. Once my life was a little more stable, I could start looking for a woman in earnest. I’d get online again and drive up to NYC, maybe ask friends and acquaintances to set me up with any LGBT women they knew.

  First I had to make partner. Then I had to settle into the role for a couple of years. If I got the promotion within the next little while, I could start seriously looking for a girlfriend in only twenty-four months. Why did it feel like forever?

  When Taylor asked if I was ready to go, my response came immediately. “Yes. I’m ready to take her right now.”

  He looked rather sad, but that was understandable. “Then I’m ready to let her go.”

  In the car, I set the puppy on my lap. Ingram slid into the passenger seat. “What are you going to call her?” he asked.

  “I’m thinking… Teensy.”

  The puppy was so small she hardly even seemed real. Even seeing her breathing and hearing the little sounds she made, I found it hard to believe she was alive — and mine.

  “That’s cute, I like it.” Ingram leaned against the seat, closing his eyes. “I’m a little jealous. Kind of wanted one of those puppies for myself.”

  I pulled out of the driveway. “Why didn’t you get one?”

  “I moved into a new place a couple months ago, and I didn’t want to piss off the landlord. There’ll be other dogs when I’m at a better stage to adopt one. Probably not as ridiculously cute as yours, though.”

  One hand on the wheel, I scratched Teensy’s head with the tip of a finger. “She is ridiculously cute.”

  After dropping Ingram back at the office for his car, I looked down at the dog on my lap. “It’s just you and me now, Teensy.”

  She looked up at me, sleepy yet curious. For a second I thought she might say something, and then remembered that of course she couldn’t.

  “You and me, little puppy. I have you for company now.”

  I held my tongue on the last thing I almost said. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

  So why do I feel more lonely than ever?

  FOUR — BJ

  “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  That came out too loud, as evidenced by the shocked look on the airline representative’s face. I toned it down, asking the same question more softly and without the expletive.

  “I’m afraid I’m completely serious, miss. Your flight is at six, and the boarding window will have closed by the time you get to the gate.”

  “But it’s only five-forty now. It’s a domestic flight. I should still have time.”

  “Boarding began twenty minutes ago. You’re correct that you don’t have to go through customs on a domestic flight, but it will take you a few minutes to walk to the gate. By then, it will be too late to board.”

  I gritted my teeth. “What if I run?”

  “I’m sorry, miss, but you should have come earlier.”

  Fuck. This sucked, and it didn’t help that every time she called me “miss” it brought up a bunch of memories from last night. The word sounded a hell of a lot better coming off Leanne’s full, pink lips. I was still trying to figure out how a woman who’d been so hesitant to get in bed could come that damn unhinged once she was in it.

  I might’ve made this flight if fucking her hadn’t taken so much out of me. The crazy, passionate sex was definitely worth it. Still, I’d meant to get up a little earlier. I was so exhausted I’d kept going back to sleep.

  All right, maybe I also liked having Leanne’s warmth wrapped around me. She may not have known she was cuddling me all night, but I was aware. I didn’t spend the night with people too often. It added to the odd feeling that this time was different.

  “Sorry doesn’t help me get on my flight,” I said, a slight edge to my voice.

  I looked the airline rep up and down. She had a nice figure under that curve-hugging uniform. Those red skirts with the matching jacket got to me every time. I was getting a certain vibe from her, too.

  Briefly, I wondered if she’d be interested in sweetening the apology. The airport was close to dead at this hour, and even if she didn’t have the best impression of me at the moment, she’d be putty in my hands as soon as I turned on the charm.

  The idea lacked appeal, though. I’d already had my two hook-ups. I didn’t need anything more from Newbank. Unless…

  “Did you want to reschedule to a later time, miss?”

  “No.” I hoisted my backpack up again, steadying myself under the heavy weight. “That’s all right. I’ll make other plans.”

  Not like I had anywhere else to be, I told myself as I walked back outside and hailed a cab. Art on Fire only lasted three days, and taking a later flight would mean missing half the second day, which added up to half the festival. Chilling in a small town for a bit would be a nice change from the big cities I usually stuck to. And if it meant I could repeat one of my best lays, well, why the hell not?

  The cab was halfway back to Leanne’s area when I remembered she’d be at work. All right, I could handle that. First I located her building — the only one in the vicinity that looked like it might have a twenty-third floor. A man coming out was nice enough to hold the door for me, although he did give me a questioning look. I dropped my backpack outside Leanne’s door and headed back out to enjoy the day.

  The enjoyment only lasted so long. There was only so much sitting in cafes and people-watching I could take. I’d left my charger in my backpack, and now my phone was dead. I even had to ask the barista what time it was.

  Five o’clock seemed late enough for a lawyer to come home from work. I hurried back to Leanne’s building, hoping I hadn’t missed her already. I got in the same way as before, finding my backpack where I’d left it. Nothing valuable was in it anyway, but it was good to see.

  It seemed like Leanne was still out, so I sat and leaned against the pack. My eyes wanted to fall shut after the lack of sleep I’d had the night before, so I let them do it. A little snooze wouldn’t hurt anything.

  *

  I woke to a sputtering sound, and when my eyes opened, I grinned at the sight of Leanne’s confusion. She was as good-looking as she’d been in my memory, and a thrill went through me as I remembered all the dirty things we’d done only a few feet from where I was sitting.

  “B… BJ?”

  “Live and in the flesh.” I pulled myself to my feet and went to
hug her, then stopped myself. Should I shake her hand? Kiss her? What exactly was the protocol when you showed up at someone’s doorstep after what was supposed to be a one-night stand?

  She seemed unconcerned by my lack of etiquette. “What are you doing here?”

  “Came to get a little more of these sweet cheeks.” I grabbed her ass. Firm and perky, like I remembered. The material of her skirt was even silkier today. Nice.

  With a gasp, she stepped away. “Are you crazy? I mean, I know you are. But literally crazy?”

  “I missed my flight, all right? I had nowhere else to go. What took you so long to get back?”

  I was so distracted worrying whether my edited version of the truth was good enough, I almost missed seeing the answer to my question.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but I was adopting a puppy.” Leanne opened her palms, revealing a tiny ball of furry cuteness.

  My jaw dropped, and I stared in awe. That thing couldn’t be more than six inches long, not including the adorable little tail that wagged side-to-side in happiness. The puppy looked me in the eye and squeaked at me.

  “It likes me!”

  “Hmph. Guess she’s got bad taste.” Leanne fished her key out of her pocket and proceeded to stand there without using it.

  “Are you going to let me in? I want to hear more about this puppy you never told me you were going to adopt.”

  “Getting Teensy was a spur-of-the-moment decision.” Leanne put the key in the door, but didn’t turn it. “Apparently I make a lot of those lately. Hopefully this one won’t turn out as bad as the last.”

  If she wasn’t going to open the door, I’d do it for her. I reached past her and unlocked it, then shoved it open. Leanne huffed softly, but she walked in. Didn’t even try to keep me from following.

  “What do you mean, ‘bad decision’?” I asked.

  The kitchen was in the same mess we’d left it last night. The plates and placemats which had been on the table were still scattered across the floor, and the chairs sat at odd angles. They must’ve been pushed out of place by the force of our fucking.

  Placing Teensy on the floor, Leanne sank into a chair. “You didn’t even leave a note, and now you show up again because you need a place to stay? I don’t see how that could be considered a good decision.”

  “I was in a hurry this morning, and I couldn’t find any paper.” Leaving notes wasn’t actually a habit of mine, although I’d debated it this time because of how strangely intense it had been. When I didn’t have anything to write on, I’d figured my decision was made for me. “You had a good time, didn’t you?”

  She scoffed, unwilling to admit it. Oh well, I knew the truth.

  “Look me in the eye and tell me you’ve been fucked like that before.”

  “I’m not doing that. I don’t need to prove anything to you.”

  Teensy was sniffing her way around the room. She paused to look at our new positions, then went back to her investigation. Her snout twitched with every breath she took, and her deep brown eyes moved alertly.

  I moved to Leanne’s side, perching on the table and setting one hand on her shoulder. “Come here.”

  “Where?” she asked.

  “Don’t play dumb with me. Get over here. I want to kiss you.” And touch you, and lick you, and suck you… As incredible as last night was, there were still a million more things for us to try.

  Except that rather than coming to me, Leanne stiffened. “I’m not interested in casual sex.”

  “That’s not what you said last night.” Leaning closer, I leered at her. “I believe it was more along the lines of ‘Take me! Harder! May I come, miss? Fuck, BJ, you’re so hot!’”

  Her face went beet-red. “I was drunk. It wasn’t something I’ve done before or intend to do again. A one-time lapse of judgment.”

  “So flattering, being described as a lapse of judgment.”

  “Yes, well.” She stood up, keeping a careful distance from me.

  And where did she think she was going? “I don’t mind just being friends. I’m good with whatever.”

  “You’re not my friend.”

  Apparently what we’d done last night hadn’t gotten rid of that stick up her butt. “Fine, non-friend. I’m good with that, too.”

  “Anyway.” She bent to grab Teensy, who had been checking out the table legs. “Since I won’t be making such an error again, I assume you’ll want to find another place to stay.”

  “What for? I’ll sleep on the couch. There is a couch, right? You were too busy ripping off my clothes to give me the grand tour.”

  She shot me a dirty look. “You’re the one who ripped mine off. And there’s a spare room, not that I’m going to let you stay. I don’t know anything about you. I don’t even know where you’re from.”

  “Omaha. Want to show me that spare room now?”

  Instead of answering, she scrutinized me. “Omaha? Somehow that’s not what I expected.”

  “Why, because I’m exotic-looking?” An edge had appeared in my voice, and I wondered if I’d made the right decision by coming back here. “Let me guess. Next you’ll be asking where I’m really from.”

  “No! Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  She seemed surprised by my reaction, and I could admit it was an overreaction. I was just tired of the same questions over and over. No matter where I went, they came up in one way or another. I should’ve known it’d happen here the minute I saw there wasn’t a non-white face in that bar last night. If anything, this conversation was overdue.

  “It’s fine,” I said, although I was still testy. “Maybe I should get going.”

  “Well…” My sudden shift must have disoriented her, because her face actually fell. I knew she hadn’t wanted me to leave, but now she was showing her true emotions. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt if you took the spare room. It shouldn’t take you long to get a flight out of here, right?”

  “Exactly.”

  Grinning, I watched that perky ass move as she opened the door to the other room. It was smaller and less nicely decorated than hers, but it would do fine until the time she came to her senses and let me back into her bed.

  “Perfect,” I said, setting my backpack on the floor. “Thanks, pal.”

  “You’re still not my pal.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Who’s going to watch that puppy while you’re at work?”

  “She’ll be here on her own.” She hesitated. “She can do that, can’t she? I’ll admit I haven’t had a dog before.”

  “I don’t know,” I said, looking closer at the little beige body resting in Leanne’s hands. “She’s only just been separated from her mother. She probably shouldn’t be alone for too long.”

  “Oh.” Leanne sat on the bed, trying to hold onto Teensy as she squirmed away from her. Finally she let her go, and she went back to her reconnaissance of this new environment. “I’ll get a dog-sitter, I guess.”

  “You have one. At least for tomorrow.”

  She softened… slightly. “Thank you.”

  “You have supplies for that dog?”

  “I was going to get some, until a vagrant lunatic showed up at my door.”

  I kind of liked “vagrant lunatic” as a pet name. “I’ll come with you.”

  *

  In the pet store, Leanne’s lack of direction became immediately obvious. “I’m going to need some food, I guess,” she said, glancing around. “And something for her to sleep in.”

  Spotting a salesperson, I waved her over. “Excuse me, somebody needs your help.”

  Once Leanne explained she’d adopted a puppy, the woman listed off all the things she needed to buy. “You’ll want to get a bag or two of food for sure, and two bowls for her food and water. Treats would be good for training. Bedding, grooming supplies, a crate… and you can’t forget to grab some toys, of course.”

  She accompanied us to the food aisle, where Leanne immediately began to agonize over the choices. After excluding the pupp
y foods with chemical preservatives or generic animal fats, there were three potential contenders left.

  “Take this one,” I said about five minutes into the deliberations. I grabbed a bag and plopped it into her arms.

  “Why? Did you notice something about the nutritional content?”

  “No, because the bag is purple and shiny and Teensy isn’t going to give a fuck. They’re all puppy food, okay? Any one of them will be fine for her.”

  She looked helplessly at the salesperson, who gave her a subtle nod. “Fine,” Leanne said. “Onto the next thing.”

  Stocking up took the better part of half an hour, especially with Leanne’s apparent need to analyze the ever-loving shit out of the smallest decisions. When we finally had everything we wanted, Leanne whipped out a credit card to pay. I whistled softly at the total.

  “Are you sure this won’t be too heavy?” the salesperson asked. The bags probably weighed twice as much as the backpack I lived out of, and that wasn’t even including the bulky crate.

  “Yes,” Leanne said. “My, uh, friend will help me carry everything to my car.”

  “I thought I wasn’t your friend,” I stage-whispered.

  Shooting me a glare, Leanne pushed a massive bag into my hands. I staggered slightly, then took it outside.

  It took me a second to remember which car belonged to Leanne. There were so many plain black cars. If I ever stayed in one place long enough to buy one, I’d make sure it was neon red.

  Leanne pointed me toward the right car. A Mercedes? I hadn’t noticed the make before. When she clicked the automatic key, the lights went on and assured me it was hers.

  My stomach felt a little funny, and I wasn’t sure why. I already knew she was a lawyer who wore expensive clothes and had a nice condo. A new-looking Mercedes-Benz fit perfectly with who she was.

  At least, with how she presented herself… because the lust-filled, shameless woman who’d come apart in my hands last night was nothing like what I’d been led to expect.

  “So we’re set,” she said as she climbed into the driver’s side. “Nothing more to stress about.”