Page 73 of Convincing Carrie
He smiled. “Thank you for even thinking about it. It’s honestly more than I deserve.”
The rest of the night swept by like something out of a dream. We abandoned serious topics and switched to lighthearted things. He drove me home and walked me to my door.
I turned to give him a hug goodnight, but my eyes snagged on his perfect mouth. Before I could think about it too hard, I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. It started with the barest brush of our lips together, then deepened as he moved his hands to my waist. Soon we were kissing each other hungrily, and I felt desire pumping through me. I felt how much he wanted me against my stomach, and I almost moaned at the thought of us being together in that way again. The depth of my desire scared me, and I pulled back just as he was readjusting himself to get closer to me.
“Goodnight,” I said. “I had a wonderful time. Thank you for everything, Thatcher. Really.”
He leaned his forehead against mine, smiling. “Tonight was the best night I’ve had in a long, long time. Happy birthday.”
I touched my lips as I watched him pull out of my driveway.
I had a lot of thinking to do.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Carrie
Over the next weeks, I spent more time with Thatcher. It wasn’t just our dates while friends and family watched Theo. We sat beside each other at Theo’s baseball games now, too. Before, I’d waved at him but sat with a couple of the moms from the team. A couple of times, I’d even jumped into his arms as we celebrated Theo getting a good hit or making a nice play. I noticed all of the eyes watching us, and I knew our closeness had probably been spread all over town.
That thought was confirmed when Melinda plunked her lunch bag down on the table she, Sadie, and I sat at in the teacher’s lounge. We were there for a summer work session day a couple of weeks before pre-planning began for the new school year which started in August.
“Why did I have to hear about you and Thatcher getting cozy at Theo’s baseball games from Edna freaking Myles?”
Sadie smirked. “That’s nothing. I heard from Lydia Funkendweller that Thatcher is over at Carrie’s houseall the time. That’s a direct quote, by the way. She said it with extreme emphasis.”
I made a face. “God. If they’re telling y’all, that means it’s everywhere.”
“I would be offended except you’re right,” Melinda bit into her pasta salad with relish. “The gossip goes through the middle-aged group first, heads to the elderly group, then finally trickles down to the younger generations.”
“It’s because a lot of them are retired and don’t have as much to do. They’re bored and get their entertainment from watching everyone all the time,” Sadie said. “I know this first-hand. Mom got binoculars last week because she thinks the new neighbor across the street is a serial killer.” She rolled her eyes.
I paused before taking a bite of my sandwich. “Is he?”
“It’s a she, and I don’t know. I mean, I don’tthinkso.” She thought for a minute. “But every time they interview the neighbors of serial killers they always say they were the nicest people.”
“You’re getting off track,” Melinda said. She pointed at me. “Talk. Are you getting back together with Thatcher or what?”
“I don’t know. Part of me wants to, but I don’t want to get Theo’s hopes up for nothing. And I don’t ever want to go through a divorce again. That time in my life was… horrendous.” A shiver went down my spine just thinking about it.
“That man has been saying he’s sorry for almost six years,” Melinda pointed out. “Seven if you count the time before your divorce and before Theo was born.”
“He’s put you and Theo first that whole time, too,” Sadie said gently. She knew I’d been made to feel like Thatcher’s second choice. She also knew what it was like to be cheated on. Her husband, Harrison, had cheated on her when they were in college. It had taken years for them to get back together. It had also taken years for any of us to forgive him for what he’d done. But maybe if we’d all reached that point with Harrison, the same could happen for Thatcher.
“Right now, we’re just taking things slowly. I’m spending time with him outside of our co-parenting meet-ups and drop-offs. We’ve gone on a few dates, I’ve had him over for dinner, we’ve gone kayaking.” I shrugged. “Things like that.”
“Have you fucked him yet?” Melinda asked.
Sadie almost spit out her water.
“Jesus,” I whispered looking at the older group of teachers sitting at a different table. “Don’t let them hear you!” Most of them had taught us when we were in high school, and I never wanted them to know I cursed or had sex. It was too strange.
Melinda rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You know they cuss more than we do, right?”
“Don’t ruin my image of them. I just finished my first year. I need to ease into thinking of them as real people, not just my former teachers. I still can’t call them by their first names. The two of you have had years to get used to it.”
“Answer the question,” Sadie hissed. “You’re avoiding it.”
“No. I haven’t. I’ve kissed him, but that’s it. I’m… scared.” There. I’d said it. The truth was out there.
