Indiscretion

My Sunday-morning routine was always the same—four egg whites, go for a run, pick up a turkey and avocado wrap from Kaiser’s Deli on the way home, quick shower, take Sheldon to the park for his sun bath, work by ten. But here it was almost four o’clock in the afternoon, and for the second week in a row, I hadn’t seen the inside of my office all weekend. I was also currently walking a chihuahua wearing a rhinestone-studded collar in Central Park.

“Where’d you get this thing?” I asked.

Naomi’s nose wrinkled. “What thing?”

I gestured to the leash in my hand. “This thing.”

“Leonardo is not a thing. He’s practically human.”

“Do you think aliens look down at us and think the dogs are our leaders and not the other way around? I mean, they lead their owners around, walk ahead on a leash we’re tied to, and owners feed them, bathe them, and clean up their shit.”

Naomi laughed. “Maybe.”

“How old is Leo anyway?”

“He’s an old man. He’ll be eleven next month.”

I waved her off. “That’s nothing compared to Sheldon.”

“How old is he?”

“Twenty.”

“Are you serious?”

I nodded. “I got him when I was nine.”

“How long can a tortoise live?”

“Some make it into their fifties.”

“Wow. I had no idea. Does Sheldon get along with other animals?”

“We had a dog growing up. They didn’t really have any interest in each other, sort of just coexisted. Ben had a cat that wanted to sniff him all the time. Sheldon seemed unfazed. Why? You want to introduce our children? I’m not sure we’re ready for that if we’re taking it day by day.”

Naomi smiled. “True.”

I’d actually been thinking about our day-to-day arrangement all week. An idea might’ve sprouted its roots watching dumb-ass Will Archer flirt with Naomi, but the thing had legs, and it stuck around even after my jealousy passed. “I wouldn’t want Sheldon to get attached to someone I wasn’t sure would be around tomorrow.”

“I suppose…”

I took a deep breath. I had no idea how to broach the subject, considering I was usually the one avoiding it. “Maybe we should make more of a commitment? You know, for the sake of the children.”

Naomi looked over at me. “What kind of commitment?”

I waited a few seconds before answering so it didn’t seem like I’d spent the amount of hours I had thinking about the subject. “I don’t know. But I suppose if you were my girlfriend, there would be less risk of Sheldon getting attached to you and Leo in vain.”

“Your girlfriend, huh? What does that entail?”

“I don’t have much experience in this area, but I would think we’d spend a few nights a week together.”

“We’re sort of already doing that, aren’t we?”

“And I guess we’d prioritize each other.”

“That sounds nice.”

I cleared my throat. “And…not see other people.”

Naomi shrugged. “Easy enough. I’m not doing that anyway. I’m more of a one-man type. But are you sure that’s what you want?”

It scared the shit out of me, but I wanted all that and more with this woman. “I want what’s best for Sheldon.”

Naomi side-eyed me with a grin. “Uh-huh.”

“What? I’m a responsible pet owner.”

She stepped in front of me, turned, and stopped, forcing me to stop too. “I would love to be your girlfriend, Dawson Reed.”

I tried to play it cool, but inside I fist pumped. “Sounds good.”

Naomi pushed up on her tippy toes and pressed a kiss to my lips. “You make me happy.”

She had on a V-neck shirt, and when I looked down at her, I got a clear view of a black, lacy bra. “And you make me hard.”

She chuckled. “I guess romantic time is over. We’re back to our normal pervy self?”

My answer was to reach around and grab a handful of her ass. “Let’s go home. I want to fuck my girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend.” She grinned. “I like the sound of it.”

“And I like the sound you’re going to be making when I get you home.”

“Is girlfriend sex different than keeping-it-casual sex?”

“Definitely.”

Her smile widened. “Do tell…”

I pulled an answer I liked out of my ass. “There’s more trust. So we can do things that require that more.”

“Like what?”

“Like sensory deprivation. I’d like to blindfold you with earplugs in and tie you up.”

Naomi swallowed. “Okay…”

“And sixty-nine with you on the bottom so I can fuck that mouth deep while my face is buried in your pussy.”

“I’m sensing a pattern here. You want control.”

“Just in the bedroom, sweetheart.”

Naomi’s cell rang. She pulled it from her pocket, checked the screen, and held up a finger. “Hold that thought. It’s my sister. She had a doctor’s appointment today. I want to make sure everything went okay.”

“Have at it.”

She swiped. “Hell—”

Naomi didn’t get to finish the word because her sister was screaming so loud I could hear her through the phone. She pulled her cell from her ear and spoke into the mouthpiece, holding the phone sideways.

“Frannie! What’s wrong?”

Her sister was babbling, but I couldn’t make out the words. Though Naomi’s face changed from freaked out to wide-eyed excitement.

“Are you serious?”

More babbling.

“Oh my God! I can’t believe it! I can’t believe they found someone!” She covered the phone and beamed. “They finally found a bone-marrow match for Frannie!”

I smiled but played dumb. “That’s awesome! When’s it going to happen?”

“Probably in about two weeks! This can cure her! Oh my God, my sister is going to be okay!”

I’d gotten tested on a whim the morning after my little chat with God. When the registry called to say I was a match, I was pretty damn shocked. After it wore off, I started to question whether I was doing the right thing, or rather whether my reasons for doing the right thing might upset Naomi. But seeing the happiness on her face erased any doubt I’d had. The reason wasn’t important—her sister was. That and putting that smile back on my girl’s face. I hoped this was the first of many times I’d get to put it there.

Naomi talked on the phone with Frannie for a few more minutes before swiping off. She was practically bouncing with a newfound energy. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy. This is the best day ever.”

I smiled. “I’m happy for your sister.”

“A boyfriend and a bone-marrow donor, all in one day. I’d say this is cause for celebration, wouldn’t you?”

“Absolutely. What do you have in mind? We can do whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want?”

I nodded. “You name it.”

She nibbled on her lip. “Those things you mentioned before sound kind of celebratory.”

And this day kept getting better, because I was about to keep that smile on her face for hours.