| |
IT HAD BEEN THREE LONG hellish weeks. That was the kindest way Damond could describe his time at the cabin without Janae. The first day she left he tried to write, but ended up staring mostly out the window. When he tried playing some ball in the basement as a distraction, he just ended up disappointed as memories ran through his head. He needed to talk to the other owners about putting a small workout space down there. A weight rack and maybe a punching bag. Neither would take up much space and would have provided him a much needed outlet for his frustration.
Instead he’d given up and went upstairs to take a nap. Only to call himself every kind of fool when he couldn’t bring himself to get back in the bed they’d shared. His little neat woman had actually made it up before leaving, but she hadn’t changed the sheets. He bet they still smelled like her, like them together. For a few seconds he thought about sleeping somewhere else, but decided he wasn’t going to let something so inane dictate his actions.
So he’d stripped the bed, put on new sheets and proceeded to toss and turn for an hour before finally drifting off. He had finally gotten his mind together enough to start writing, only to be fucked up again when she had texted him. Damond was glad she had kept it short, as he was floundering on what to say at the time. However, the simple act of speaking with her, if only through text had sharpened his energy. That boost led him to write for the rest of the night, falling into bed at three a.m. So exhausted even the ghost of Janae couldn’t keep him awake.
His brain and resolve seemed to reboot the next day and he’d thrown himself into work. After all he was here to do a job, not pine after a woman. So his routine changed, becoming more like before Janae stepped through that cabin door, turning his life upside down. He slept, wrote and ate when he thought about it, and took a shit when needed. It worked for him, his story filling page after page on the screen. Stopping to research annoyed him but it was necessary and provided his wrists a break. He really needed to take time and learn how to dictate better. At the rate he was going he was sure to have arthritis in another few years. Another problem he didn’t need.
In the moments where he didn’t work himself to exhaustion, thoughts of his proper Professor snuck in. She wasn’t his woman—hadn’t been when she walked in the house, but damn sure felt like it when she walked out. Which was just nuts. They’d probably get sick of each other on their first date back in the real world. Chance had made them two people stuck together, who ended up making the best out of a weird situation. Damond tried to convince himself of this, as he figured she was doing the same at home. But it didn’t stop the need to communicate with her each night.
Frankly he looked forward to their texts, it reassured him that she hadn’t forgotten about him yet. Hadn’t used her logic to erase his existence from her mind. If she was going to be stuck in his head, then he wanted to be stuck in hers. That’s right, if he had to suffer so did she. She had been right, he was an asshole. One who when motivated would never play fair to get what he wanted. No matter how much he tried to talk himself out of it, Damond was starting to think what he wanted was Janae.
He was leaving tomorrow but tonight he was bone tired, elated and conflicted at the same time. The first person he thought to share all those emotions with was nearly five hours away and most likely sleep. Regardless, he picked up the phone anyway.
*
JANAE WAS DRESSED FOR bed, actually even in it but she wasn’t sleeping. She was doing something she rarely had time to do, reading for pleasure. A vacation romance called Crashing In On Love, that normally she would have spent the entire book scoffing at the situation. That was before her own recent experience. Now she found it romantic, possible and was rooting for the two island love birds to make it work somehow when they got home. Probably because it hit close to her real life situation. Janae might not end up with a happy ending, but damn it she wanted someone to. Even if it was fictional characters.
Deciding that was enough for tonight, Janae turned off her kindle and the bedside light, right before her phone rang. Sitting up, one hand reached for the light and the other for her phone. Both excited and worried when she saw it was Damond calling at 11:30.
“Hey, is everything okay?”
“Yes mother, you worry entirely too much for someone your age. Now go pour yourself a glass of alcohol.”
Despite his flippant words he sounded extra tired. “I wouldn’t worry if you weren’t calling me so late, which is unusual. What are we drinking to?”
“You ask so many questions, no wonder you’re a psychologist.”
“Fine, I’m going to get wine. What are you drinking?”
“I’m drinking coffee.”
“This late at night? Damond, you know-”
“Don’t start. I need it, I’m beat. I’ve been going since nine this morning. I ate once and only allowed myself three pee breaks.”
“That was very magnanimous of you.” He just grunted, so she left the phone on the bed while she ran to the kitchen. It only took a minute before she came back to the line, since she had a bottle open already. “Okay I have my drink, so tell me.”
“I finished the book. Eighty-two thousand, five-hundred and thirty-two words. I don’t think I’ve ever written a novel that quick before. It’s rough and I’ll need to do a harsh first revision, but it’s done.”
“That’s wonderful!” Janae was so excited for him. “Congrats! That is a big deal. I’m proud of you for putting your head down and getting it done.”
Did his chest just tighten because a woman he’d known for a couple of months said she was proud of him? Naw, it couldn’t be.
“Thanks, I’m pretty pumped about it too.”
“Well, you don’t sound like it. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I worked myself to death since no one was here to distract me.” Damond told the truth.
“Aww, you poor baby. But it will all be worth it in the end. Now you can launch your new series fairly close together, and this gives you a bit of a breather and time to write the next one. How many were you thinking would go in this series again, six?”
“At least. More if it does well. I’m hoping this becomes my signature series. Which if you look at the Alex Cross books, those have close to thirty. I’ll definitely still branch out and do other stuff, but if you find yourself with a money maker you keep it going. Assuming you can keep the story fresh.”
“True, some of my favorite cozy mystery series, go on forever.”
“Why does it not surprise me that you like watered down thrillers.”
“Hey! To each their own. I’ll let that go since you sound tired enough to be delusional.”
“My bad, you’re right it was unnecessary. You’re also right on the other point. My eyes are crusty and heavy, if I start snoring in the middle of a sentence don’t take it personally.”
“I’ll try not to. If you were so tired Damond, you should have gone straight to bed.”
“No Professor, I had to tell somebody, and the first person that came to mind was you.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say to that or what it implied. She just knew it made her feel special. “In that case I’m very glad you called.”
“Me too.” Damond sighed heavily. “I’ll be heading home tomorrow, I want to see you.”
Janae was glad she was sitting because the words made her weak. They’d talked about a lot of things, but not where their relationship was going. She was relieved he had brought it up.
“I’d really like that. But you sound like you need rest, a lot of it. And probably some real downtime even once you get back.”
“I hate to say it, but you’re right on the money again. I was thinking the weekend after next? We could go out for dinner...does that work for you?”
“Yes it does,” she replied quickly.
“Sure you don’t want to check your schedule?”
“No.” Janae’s tone was serious. “It works, and if it doesn’t I’ll make it work.”
Janae wanted him to understand that she wanted this, and was willing to put effort into it.
“That’s what a man likes to hear. Do me a favor though, you pick a place.”
“I don’t care where we go I-”
“I know and neither do I. Pick a place that sounds good to you and let me know. I just can’t bring my brain to focus on those kinds of details right now. As long as you show up, I don’t care if we eat in a drive-thru.”
She laughed softly. “Got it. Still, I’ll try my hardest to do a little better than that. Damond...”
“Yeah, what?”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”
“Same here, and that makes four things I’ve agreed with you on tonight. I must be incoherent.”
“Obviously.” She was grinning ear to ear. “Get some rest, like immediately okay. Let me know when you arrive safe tomorrow.”
“Can do. Good night Professor.”
Hanging up, Janae finished the rest of her glass, doing a silent toast to his accomplishment. The conversation had her keyed up for several reasons, so maybe the alcohol would help her sleep. The validation that he wanted to see her still made her giddy. Soon she would be able to kiss his lips, be held in his strong arms—Janae couldn’t freaking wait!