Books, Tattoos & Other Inky Things

5. Hell Yeah, I Tapped That.

As soon as Nella caught up with Danielle and Lucas, they linked arms with her, one on either side.

Danielle's cheeks plumped as she grinned. "We heard about you and Sexy Tat Guy at Draper's the other night. Did you fuck him?"

Nella tried not to choke at Dani's bluntness while she considered her response. Dani and Lucas were her tightest friends at TO. If she blushed and blundered over Dani's interrogation, their teasing would be never-ending.

"Hell yeah, I tapped that," she said coolly.

Danielle dropped her messenger bag and the takeout and held both hands up in the air. "That's my girl!"

They high-tenned.

Lucas picked up the sack. "The full moon makes all chics crave dick."

"You're disgusting, but you might also be... right. I don't know what came over me. It was just a... random... thing."

"Not random if you went back for round two," Danielle declared.

Nella's phone alerted in her pocket, and she pulled it eagerly, expecting it to be the start of a brand new thread with Baz. She dropped the phone, retrieved it, and was double disappointed. She had cracked the safety glass, and she was wrong about the texter.

The name "Captain Asshat" headed the top of the thread. The text read:

Did you get my voicemail?

Her ex had sent her a voicemail? When? She tried to check her recent calls, but the crack in the safety glass was making it difficult to swipe over the phone icon, and she gave up in favor of texting him back.

Sorry. You know how bad I am about listening to voicemails. What's up?

Despite their break-up, Nella still lent a sympathetic ear when it came to his family problems because she understood how difficult his relationship with his father was.

Him: Nothing.

Her: Sure?

Him: Yeah. Drunk dial. Delete it.

She hesitated, then thumbed quickly.

Drunk dial as in you there's something you need to tell me?

He replied with a quick series.

What are you fishing for, Miss Fischer?

Something like...

I miss the shadows your eyelashes cast on your sleep-sweet cheeks in the morning light?

Or maybe...

I miss the cadence of your typing when I read in bed because I haven't enjoyed a single line of poetry since you left me?

She groaned internally. There was no denying that Captain Asshat had a way with words. But they were better as friends. He knew that.

Her: If we could only live in that gorgeous fiction...

Him: Yeah, I actually hated the inconsiderate way you prioritized your writing over my basic needs.

Her: Reading is a basic need?

Him: I only read because I COULDN'T SLEEP WITH ALL THAT BANGING!!!

Her: It was the only banging going on at that point.

Him: Well aware, Nellie. We were on our way to divorce before we even got married. I just hate the way you left me at the altar.