Sugar Pie by Victoria Pinder

17

Kerry

When I awoke, my lips still tingled from his kiss. Any other guy would have wanted more from me, and if Warren had pushed, I would have given him all of me. I would have loved to have been his, but it was best to wait.

Heat coursed through me, and I knew I’d overslept. I tossed the sheets off me and listened. Warren wasn’t there. I rubbed my eyes and headed to the bathroom to wash my face and clean up.

It was time to start booking jobs and getting back to normal.

Once I’d brushed my teeth, I took out my phone and dialed the only number I had memorized. My mother. She wasn’t great to talk to, but she was all I had, and I needed to get my head straight. Kissing Warren had felt right, even if I wasn’t ready for a relationship.

She answered on the second ring. After hellos, I asked, “Mom, can I ask you a personal question?”

“I’d love to help you.” She sounded so excited.

I glanced out the vinyl window blinds. The truck was gone. I massaged my arms, which had goose bumps. “How did you know Dad was the one for you?”

“Because we had all the same friends and similar interests. I knew we’d get along well when he asked.”

Warren checked the friend box, but he was so much more. I closed my eyes. “Did his kiss ever make you forget everything?”

She made a pfft sound. “That sounds like a high school wish. In the real world, it’s better to marry someone who can provide for you and is nice enough to be your friend.”

She was no help. Warren wasn’t well off enough for her to ever think I’d made the right choices. If I ever ended up living with her again, it would be torture as she tried to find me a new husband with money and connections.

If I hadn’t kissed Warren and dreamed all night of being his arms, I never would have thought about romance. I hadn’t thought it was in the cards for me.

I swallowed. “Romeo was never my friend. He treated me like a child and insisted I was always overreacting.”

Warren was the opposite. Even not waking me in the morning meant he’d given me space. I headed to the kitchen to make my coffee and work.

My mom took an audible breath. “Maybe we should have looked harder for a boy your age, but it’s hard to tell who will be successful in the end right away.”

I filled the pot with water. “Or maybe it’s better just to marry a man you love.”

“I love your father. I thought you would love Romeo.”

My stomach tightened. “I never cared about Romeo or he for me, and that was the root to all my unhappiness.”

We never even spoke unless he was berating me for my wrong opinion.

I inhaled the earthy scent of coffee and realized I needed to tell Warren that I should probably get my own place so we had some degree of separation. Work needed to come first.

We made small talk for a few minutes just to be polite. I was sure she would let me in if I knocked on her door, but before I asked her, I would face Warren. He deserved a goodbye in person, as I wasn’t sure we could be friends anymore.

However, if he asked me to bed or to stay, I craved him enough to agree to anything. I swallowed and walked to my work corner. As I put my cup down, I saw a note from Warren. I picked it up and read.

Kerry,

I’m looking forward to tonight. Maybe we can go out and do something fun.

Warren

My heart beat faster, and I held his note to my chest. “This is so sweet.”

I saw a note from the realtor with more papers to sign. He’d given me access to e-sign for him, so I took care of it quickly.

Then I glanced at the house-architecture websites Warren had been looking at last night, which meant that while I’d been dreaming of him, he was working.

If I found my own place, maybe dating and working together could happen. We just needed a little bit of space.

As I drank my coffee, I searched for apartments. Nicer ones were more expensive, and I would take from our resources if I moved.

So I focused on bids and my job, and before long, the afternoon sun shone in the sky. I stood and stretched.

It was time to face him and tell him that I needed to go. So I changed my clothes, fixed my hair, and texted him: Warren, we need to talk. I’ll meet you at your last job.

I raised my head high. It was time to talk about what happened and what happened next. If I needed to pack, at least I didn’t have much. My heart thumped. I would be okay.