Page 73 of Almost Not Quite Engaged

KAT: And BTW...denied pregnancy rumor today.

KAT: I’m thinking of you. I don’t need a response. We can just settle for postcards and very very delayed replies. I’ll get them when I get back so super delay. Where do I send your cards? I hope you’re not dead. -

KAT: Guess I’ll settle for lag time.

I stare at the hat on the tiny RV table, and suddenly feel very lonely. I crawl into the bed and worry if texting was intrusive? What if he’s with someone? That’s a sharp pain in my stomach thinking about it. This is confusing. I need to be on a plane.

I glance over and it’s 4 am. I’m so damn complicated. I’d like to be simple. Maybe that’s what I’ll become. I’ll bet he’s with an uncomplicated someone. I get up, walk to Courtney’s porch and plug my phone into the outside outlet. The generator is too loud and it’s not too warm out so no need for air.

As I step onto the RV step, I hear a notification pop up. I squeal, turn quickly on the step, stumble down the stairs, do a tuck and roll onto the driveway. Brush the bits of gravel off my ass and bolt toward the porch.

ZANE: We should never settle Katydid&Squire.bloghold.com

That’s it? That’s all he has to say to me. I know I demanded no personal contact but come on. I have no idea what it means. I pull out my laptop and plug in the address. It’s password protected. I try twenty different ones and none work.

My laptop is about to die and I need coffee. I use my key and go into Court & Ben’s kitchen. I scream, startled by Ben leaning against the counter and he almost spills his coffee.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“It’s my kitchen, you lunatic. Why are you up?” He pulls the pot and a mug from the cabinet and hands me a black cup of coffee. How the hell does he know how I take my coffee?

As if my brother-in-law can read my mind. Ben says, “How many vacations have we been on? Not counting all the families together time since I was three. How many times have you lorded your grab and go coffee over Court’s complicated concoction? I kind of think you drink it black to prove you’re not Court.” He laughs but that hits a target. Shit did I convince myself to drink black coffee to be contrary? Huh.

“Thanks.” I hop up on the counter and Ben winces. “You’re a computer genius, right?”

“In my former life, yes. What do you need?”

“Can you hack this? He didn’t tell me the password.”

He looks at it and smiles. “Zane?” I nod with a laugh, embarrassed.

“Text him and ask him. Much faster.”

“No. He wants me to figure it out.”

“At 4:30 am? Try ‘ring.’ Or some inside joke. He’s funny, right? Think quirky.”

Then in rapid succession, I try Hawaii, Decaf, Laugh, Spirit Animal, naupaka, Cake, Camera, Squire, MyKing.

I drum on my laptop. “I’m locked out for ten minutes.”

“You’ve never been known for your patience.” He takes the laptop from me and types a bunch of stuff.

He’s in his boxers and a t-shirt. “Why are you up?”

“She’s snoring.”

“You got to get her on a CPAP.”

“Agreed. Here you can try again now. I lifted the ban but think of it this way, it’s a puzzle. He thinks he’s clever, so think like him.”

“He’s an asshole. You want me to think like an asshole.”

“If that helps.” He leans back against their counter. I’ve known Ben my whole life, he and my brother, Porter, have been best friends since they were like three. I was one when he showed up at our house and kind of never left.

Harpy, Asshole, Katydid, John, Sex, Travel, Zane, Mother, Later, Nan, Fiancée, Snoopy, BigRing, Postcard, Birdie, Ice Cube, Scotch, Gin, Yoga, Kaiser, and Serge. Nothing works.

“Does he say something or do something that bothers you?” I glare at him.