Bet on It

by Jodie Slaughter

For however good his meal proved to be, he was willing to bet she tasted better.

But if he’d only learned one thing in life, it was that not everyone deserved to know all of him. His soft spots were his to expose, and he had the right to be very fucking discerning.

It was bad enough that she masturbated thinking about him sometimes; she didn’t need to cross an even bigger line by masturbating with him.

“We could make it a kind of tradition,” he said. “Any time one of us wins a bingo game.”

“How about we get those wraps instead,” she suggested, leading him towards her small kitchen. “They’re pretty simple, just deli turkey, spinach, and Colby jack in some flour tortillas. But I promise they’ll make you less horny.” Walker snorted. “That’s a glowing review for a lunch recipe if I ever heard one.”

“What’s bad is trying to force yourself into fake happiness and positivity that you’re not ready to feel yet.”

“What if … what if I sat right here until you figured it out?” He pointed to the dirty linoleum floor next to her door. “I don’t care how long it takes. Hours, days, whatever. I’ll sit right here and wait for you. Just like I made you wait for me.…”

“I’m not sure what I can give you to prove that I’m serious about this other than time,” he said quietly, reverently. “I just need some time to make you see how much I love you, how dedicated I am to makin’ you happy. I’m ready for this. Let me show you.”