Lucy

IT’S BEEN nearly four months since that first night, and this summer passed by way too quickly. I’m getting ready to head to Kale’s place for one last hurrah before he gets on a plane and walks out of my life for the next nine months. I’ve come to rely on seeing him on an almost daily basis, and having to go back to Channing again is going to suck. When I went to Kale’s in my sexy teacher getup, I figured I was getting ready for one-night stand or at least a short fling with a few fun nights. Instead, I gained a best friend…who just so happens to also be really good in bed. I smile as I remember the rest of that night—the night we solidified our relationship.

After not embarrassing himself in front of the delivery guy, we gorged on pizza, and Kale introduced me to the strangest drink concoction. I was snuggling on the couch in a pair of his sweatpants and an Army t-shirt, thankful he’d taken pity on me and not made me lounge around in that short skirt and barely there tank. When he set the mixed drink in front of me, I asked what it was, but he wouldn’t tell me.

“Just take a sip, Lucy,” he said, and I eyed him suspiciously. He looked at me with exasperation. “What do you think I’m going to do? I already had you naked—well, almost—in my bed, and you were screaming my name. It’s just a drink.”

Remembering the way it had felt when he’d made me come brought a smile to my face, and I did as he’d asked. There was a definite burn, but the sweetness of the drink helped calm it down. He was right. It was pretty damn delicious. When he told me it was Mountain Dew and Fireball Whiskey, I was a little surprised, but I didn’t question it.

Several—or well, probably six—cocktails later, he pulled me down on the couch, properly preparing for his oral exam. I’m more than happy to report that he earned very high marks and has been doing so ever since. Afterwards, we ended up in his bed. I hadn’t planned on staying over, but six whiskeys later, I really had no choice. I offered to sleep on the couch, causing him to scoff at me. He took my hand, led me back to his bedroom, and surprised me by handing me an unopened toothbrush and giving me access to all his toiletries. It felt a little weird, knowing this was just supposed to be a random hook-up, but I appreciated that he was being a gentleman.

Upon exiting the bathroom, he went in after me, and I went out to the living room to get my purse. I dug around until I found my phone and saw about fifteen texts from Charlie, all ranging from “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” to “Don’t listen to that advice,” to “How big is his cock?” The latter made me laugh out loud, and before I knew it, my phone was being pulled out of my hands.

I jumped up, trying to grab it away from him, but he was too tall. It wasn’t until he read the messages that he handed it back to me. He stood there, crossing his arms, watching me.

“Well? What are you going to tell her?” I hesitated, and he grinned at me. “I can grab a ruler if you want.”

Shutting off my phone, I pushed his shoulder, telling him to fuck off. He just laughed as we made our way back to his room. We both settled on the bed, and I set the alarm on my phone so I could get out of there at a reasonable hour. Fluffing my pillow, I cuddled up underneath the covers and wondered what the hell I was doing. Kale turned towards me and gave me that heart-stopping smile that was already starting to be a panty dampener. Well, if I were wearing any.

“I’m glad I met you, Lucy Dawson,” he said, as if it were the most natural thing to say after we’d spend the night in various sexual positions.

Surprisingly, I felt the same way. Knowing that he was only going to be around for the summer and that he was in the same boat relationship-wise that I was made me think that this could be the best summer yet. In fact, a summer fling never sounded better.

“And I’m more than grateful that you creepily wandered into my elementary school classroom.”

He laughed and leaned in, placing a kiss on my nose. “I like you, Lucy. And I’d like to spend more time with you. Like I told you, I’m heading to Afghanistan in the fall, and like you, I’m not looking for anything. What do you say we see where this friendship goes?”

I gasp in mock horror. “Kale Montgomery, are you suggesting that we become friends with benefits? You know that only works in the movies, right?” I teased, wanting nothing more than to agree with a very enthusiastic yes, but I held myself back.

“Well, I didn’t put it that way, but if that’s what you want, Lucy, then I’m game. But can I be the Justin Timberlake kind of friend? I’m more partial to him than Ashton Kutcher.”

The moment he said the words, I busted out laughing.

“What? My sisters have been in love with JT since I was in middle school. My fondness for him has grown ever since. It’s fucking true that he brought sexy back.”

“Okay, okay, Kale. A summer not needing my vibrator sounds perfect. You can be my JT as long as I can be your Mila. I do kind of have a girl crush on her.”

A slow grin spread over his face, and I knew that he agreed.

“You’ve got yourself a deal.”

WE’VE BEEN practically inseparable since then. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking getting into a long-term friends-with-benefits situation. Justin and Mila’s story has a happily ever after. Kale and I pretended that part of the movie didn’t happen. Don’t get me wrong. It hasn’t been all about sex. Once the school year was over and I was no longer Lily’s teacher, I often accompanied them to the park, the aquarium, and the movies, even though Kale despised sitting in a dark theater with kids. Something about their talking incessantly drove him nuts, but for Lily, he didn’t mind. He was so tender and loving with her, and he treated her as if she were his own. It didn’t make sense with his whole playboy persona. It was like he was born to be a dad, and until he could become one, Lily was the next best thing. It’s one of the things I love about Kale—seeing all the different sides to him.

Charlie kept trying to hook me up with Drew’s friends, but I always begged off, pretending to have other things to do. I think she suspected that I had a guy on the side. She’d bugged me about my night spent with Kale, but I waved her off, not giving her any details, and apparently she bought my indifference. She never again asked about Kale, and I never offered the information. What was going on between us was complicated enough even for me, and trying to explain it to her would probably make my head explode—and hers, for that matter.

Here’s the thing. I’m not going to tell you that I’ve fallen in love with Kale Montgomery. I haven’t. I have, however, realized that he’s exactly the type of man I’d settle down with, and watching him with Lily has made it even worse. That biological clock has started ticking, and each tock is louder than the last. I’m not saying I want to have a child right now. It’s just… I think I’m finally in a place where I might try to actually settle down and try to find someone who fills my heart with ultimate joy. Could that be Kale? Maybe, but I won’t let my heart open up to the possibility. I knew this summer had an expiration date, and now that it’s here, I’m glad I’ve kept my feelings closed off. Perhaps once he’s gone, I can finally open up my heart and find someone worth settling down with, because after Kale, I think I’m done with casual.

I finally pull myself out of my mind and check the time. Realizing that I was supposed to be at Kale’s twenty minutes ago, I rush to grab my purse and the gift I got him. Checking my phone, I see that I have two missed calls, but instead of calling him back, I figure I’ll see him in ten minutes and hit the road.