AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I didn’t know what had possessed me to take her home from the bar. I had told Polly, just like I told all the other girls, I wasn’t interested in dating. But Tammy had been different somehow. Maybe it was because she was a big-city girl, someone who I had never met before. Maybe her insistence on zero commitment had opened the door for me to take a chance. Whatever had happened, I was hooked. There was no use trying to deny it; I wanted to see Tammy again. I cursed myself for not getting her number. Just because we had agreed that there would be no strings attached didn’t mean that I couldn’t ask her out on a second date.
My logical mind rebelled. She hadn’t asked for my phone number, and she hadn’t given any indication that she wanted to see me again. I should just take her at her word and accept the fact that she had just been looking to get screwed. I did my part, and now it was over.
I caught the board just before the saw veered off again, saving myself from a fourth mistake. If I had any chance of keeping all my fingers, I was going to have to banish Tammy to the back of my mind, at least until my shift was over. I let her go with regret, wondering when I would ever see her again. Hopefully, she would stick around town long enough to give me a second chance.
6
TAMMY
Macy was doing laundry alone in the house when I returned. I set my purse down and headed over to her, grabbing some fresh clothes to help her fold. She took one look at me, her little black dress wrinkled from the night it spent on the floor and clapped.
“Welcome home!” My cousin threw imaginary confetti out of her hands, grinning from ear to ear.
I laughed. This was nothing like a walk of shame. It was more like a moment of triumph. My own personal induction into some sort of hall of fame if you will.
“So, how was it?” she asked.
I was about to answer when the cabin door burst open and little children flooded the living room. I peeked out into the common area to see Dillon, still wearing Emily on his back. Nicky and Daisy ran up to me, screaming with joy.
“Where did you go?” Daisy asked, pulling on my fingers.
“Tammy had a sleepover.” Macy winked.
Dillon came to find us and kissed Macy on the cheek. She detached their toddler from the carrier, settling her onto her hip. Multitasking like only a mother can, she continued to fit clothes into the machine with the other hand, portioning out detergent and turning the machine on.
“Daddy took us down to the stream!” Nicky said joyfully.
“Did you see any bugs?” I asked.
“Lots of them.” Nicky jumped excitedly in place.
“Let’s give Tammy some room to change.” Macy ushered her children out of the laundry room, leaving me in peace.
I took my time undressing, remembering how Mike had done it the night before. His hands had been rough but gentle, like he was accustomed to hard work. There was so much power in his grip, and yet he held me as if I were fragile. Every single touch had communicated love…but that was ridiculous. It had just been a one-night thing—it was meaningless to both of us. That’s what I told myself anyway, to try to chase away the lingering pleasure his lovemaking had bestowed on me.
I changed into jeans and a T-shirt and threw my underwear in the laundry with Macy’s. I wasn’t sure how to clean the dress, whether it needed a cold wash or dry cleaning. I hung it up on a hanger I found in the closet and decided to ask her the next time I got a chance. Now that I was presentable, I wanted a shower.
I opened the door to scope out the situation. The kids were watching television in the living room. It didn’t look like I was going to be able to make it to the bathroom without being spotted. With determination, I strode through the common area, sparing only a quick smile for my little cousins. They took the hint, thankfully, and allowed me to continue to my destination without interruption.
I locked myself in the bathroom and took a long, hot shower. There was some bodywash that smelled like artificial sour watermelons, but it had to make do. I washed away the perfume and the scent of the man I had met in the bar. Now, the only thing remaining from our time together was my memories. They would linger in my mind for days and weeks to come. I didn’t even notice how completely Mike had erased my ex in my thoughts. It made me ashamed that I still cared so much about how much that idiot had hurt me. I dressed again in my clean clothes and emerged from the bathroom just in time to be roped into lunch.
“Can you pour some milk?” Macy asked me as she made peanut butter sandwiches on the counter.
“Sure.” I grabbed two plastic cups and a sippy cup from the cabinet and filled them with milk.
“Here, take these to the table.” Macy pointed to three sandwiches on plates, dropping the knife into the sink.
I grabbed the sandwiches and set them on the table, then crowned each lunch with their cups of milk.
“Kids! Lunch,” Macy called. “I think there are some carrots and apples in the fridge.”
I looked in the fridge and found some prepackaged carrots and apple slices. I grabbed three of each and brought them to the table.
Nicky and Daisy scrambled over to climb into their seats, while Macy put Emily in her highchair.
“I don’t like carrots,” Nicky said.
Macy rolled her eyes, probably hearing Nicky say that for the third time that week and pulled up a chair beside Emily.
