Page 11 of Torn
Lisa.
I swipe the screen and hold the phone to my ear. “Yeah?”
“I figured if I didn’t call you, you’d never call me.” She’s right about that. I don’t chase. If you choose to walk out that door, you can keep fuckin’ going.
“As you pointed out, I don’t have much to say. Remember?”
“Tor, I’m trying. I heard you were with Sydni last night. Are you back together?”
“I wasn’twithSydni. We were at Asher’s house with about twenty other people. I didn’t go with her or leave with her. We talked for a few minutes and that was it. Tell your gossip hounds not to quit their day job. They suck.”
She sighs a mixture of relief and annoyance. “Maybe we could try again? What are you doing tonight?”
“After work I’m going to refill my feeding traps. You can come with me, if you want. It’s right by the river. We could sit there and talk.” If she wants to talk, I’ll try to talk. The truth is, I like Lisa. She’s attractive, with long dark hair, almond-shaped Bambi eyes, and a nice body. She works at the bank, has no kids, and doesn’t party. In theory, she’s the perfect kind of woman to settle down with. She’s the kind of woman I could bring home to my mother and not be embarrassed of or have to worry about her flirting it up with my brothers.
“Trekking out into the woods with a pile of meat really isn’t my idea of a date. Can’t you skip it tonight? Let’s go out to dinner to a real restaurant. I want to see you out of jeans for once. If things go well, we can go back to my place…” She trails off, her intention clear.
My eyes close for a long moment. I was hoping she would agree, and that for once a woman would walk through the door I was holding open and step into my world to get to knowme. I want her to care enough about me to get involved just a little in what’s important to me. I thought maybe Lisa could be that woman, especially after her speech a few nights ago about me being cold, uncaring, disconnected, and all that other shit. Here I am asking her to help me do something that’s a huge part of my life, something I built out of nothing and is evidence of the care and giving she claims I don’t have in me, and now she doesn’t want it.
“I can’t do that, Lisa. Not tonight. Ty watches the live videofeeds at night, or sits out in the woods, especially on the weekends, so if he sees one of the dogs, he can get an idea of the shape it’s in or go pick it up if it goes in the cage. I have to set out the food to lure them.”
“Can’t he do that?”
“No. He doesn’t like to handle the food, and he only goes out at night. The food has to be set out before it’s dark.”
“That’s stupid,” she says flippantly. “I’m sure he can do it if you told him you have plans.”
The urge to end the call wafts up in me, but she doesn’t know Ty or his story and why he is the way he is. Her use of the wordstupidhas pissed me right the fuck off, though.
“He can’t. I gotta go. I have work to do.”
“As usual.” Disappointment is heavy in her voice and I’m sure it matches mine. “Maybe when you’re done playing in the woods you can stop by. I’d still like to see you. Just take a shower first so you don’t smell like grease and chicken, okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll do that.”
I hit end on my phone and shove it in my back pocket with zero intention of showing up at her house tonight for a late-night sexfest. No thanks. I have this thing called self-respect. I’m disappointed in Lisa, though. I thought she may have been the one to see that underneath the muscles, ink, and grease, beyond the loud bike, past the long hair and dirty fingers, is a man who wants the whole fucking package. Not just the fucking.
Been there, done that.
She’s waiting for me at the end of the driveway, her earbuds in, shaking her head back and forth to the music. I pull my truck up to the curb and lean across the front seat to open the door for her.
“You’re twelve minutes late.” She slams the door shut and pulls the seat belt across her, fastening it before giving me an accusing look.
I give her a sideways glance as I shift the truck. “Twelve? Really?”
“Yup. You know how I feel about punctuality. Lateness is a sign of disrespect and it gives the person waiting for you time to think about your other shortcomings.”
“Is that right?” Kenzi has a thing for quotes lately.
“Yes.”
“I’m fairly confident I don’t have any shortcomings, Kenz.”
“Except lateness.”
“I can live with that. There’re a lot worse things a person can be.”
She nods. “Yeah, like a bad kisser.”