used to being on them all the time. So, after picking up some frozen tamales, refried beans, and chips and salsa at the grocery store, I headed to her place to take a shower and put my feet up.
I'd just finished the former and was eager to begin the latter when my cell phone rang. I glanced at the screen and smiled. It was Ben.
"Hey, you," I said when I answered.
"Hey back. How was your day?"
"Long. Yours?"
I could hear the smile in his voice when he replied, "Same here." After a pause, he asked, "What are your plans for tonight?"
I squinted at the clock on the wall. Eight o'clock. Cam would be home in an hour and a half.
"I'm having dinner with Cam."
"What about tomorrow night?" he asked.
"I'm working at Crave until closing time, then nothing set in stone. Have any suggestions for what I should do?"
"You could come see me."
I stretched my back and winced. Damn, I was sore. "I'd love to, but I don't know if I'm up to it. I'm feeling a few aches and pains from working on my feet all day. I don't know how Cam does it."
"Well, I might have just the thing for that."
"A massage therapist on speed dial?" I asked, hopeful.
He laughed a little. "Not quite that good, but I do have a jetted tub big enough for two and lots of hot water."
"Throw in a massage with your own two hands and we have a deal."
"Unless you're up for a little more than a back rub, a massage probably wouldn't be a good idea," he said.
"I think it will be exactly what I need to convince me," I teased.
"Then what time will you be here?" he asked, his voice lower and softer. His tone was intimate, sexy.
And it gave me a flashback of Sunday night when he rasped insanely dirty things in my ear as he fucked me.
I shivered again. "I told Cam I was covering for her tomorrow night and Sunday so she could have a break. So I should be able to get out of there around nine or a little after."
"Let me know."
"Oh, and Ben, one other thing."
"Yes?"
"I'll be very hungry."
"I guess I'll go shopping."
"See you later, Ben Murphy."
"Can't wait, Sierra Watkins."
I was smiling as I hung up. He gave as good as he got. I liked that. I liked it a lot.
I needed to be careful. Liking him too much would be bad for me.
At the thought, the smile left my face.
I needed to remember that this was only fun. Nothing more.
Well, I wouldn't be worried about whether I'd shaved my legs this time. I'd make sure to do it in the shower tomorrow morning.
Now, enough mooning over Ben. I had food to warm up and TV to watch.
Which was exactly what I was doing when Cam came in the door a little after nine.
"Something smells good," she commented.
"Tamales," I answered, shooting the plate in front of me a guilty look. I'd tried to wait on her but the hunger pangs were painful.
"Oh, tamales. That sounds good but I'm full," she muttered, dropping her bag on the side table by the front door. "And I'm pooped."
"I offered to stay and help," I pointed out. "And why are you full?"
"Because Brody came by with sushi."
"What?"
"Yeah, Monica asked if she could have Jacks this weekend, even though it's not her scheduled visitation, and he said yes. He was feeling down in the dumps so he brought me sushi and we ate dinner together." She paused and stared at her fingers. "I also asked him to go to the movies with me tomorrow night."
"You did?" I asked, my voice rising an octave. Then, I grinned. "So you and Brody are going on date, huh?"
Cam shook her head. "No, it's a friends thing. Not a date. I'm being a good friend by distracting him from the fact that his daughter isn't home with him."
I laughed. "Sure, sure. Y'all are just friends."
"Shut up, Sierra," she said, resting her head against the back of the couch.
Normally, I would have kept teasing her, but I could see the exhaustion in her face.
"It's just that we're finally getting along," she stated. "And I want to keep it that way. I always liked Brody until his senior year of high school when he turned into a jerk. And I think I can like him again as long as that part of him never returns."
"Hey, I'm not going to judge you. I'm pretty sure you know about