22
" Sean was quiet for a beat, then pushed, “Don’t be so sure.”
I snorted, scoffed, then shook my head. “Come on, Sean. Don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself? He just found out on Monday that he has a son. He’s just meeting him today.”
“Yes, but I warned you, Bryan is sturdy.”
“Like a table. You won’t let me forget.”
“That’s right. Like a table. Or an exceptionally well-crafted chair. The point is, he wants to be sturdy. For someone "
― L.H. Cosway , The Cad and the Co-Ed (Rugby, #3)
23
" I’ve always hated dating,” I said instead. “In fact, if I could bypass all that might I bestow upon you a kiss business, I would. Why can’t we all just skip to the comfortable part of relationships? Go straight to the bit where you can walk around in your undies, let farts go and blame them on the dog, and leave the door open when you’re taking a piss?”
“First of all, there is no part of a relationship that should involve that last bit, and second of all, dating is the best part. All those butterflies and excitement, the sexual tension. Wanting to skip to the comfortable bit is laziness. It means you don’t have to put in any effort to woo someone. Also, if memory serves, you’ve never had a relationship that lasted more than six months.”
“Thanks for the reminder, oh Sarah of Ye Old Wet Blanket,” I groused, but she was right. I hadn’t dated anyone for longer than six months; and even then it hadn’t really been a relationship with any meaningful or lasting impact.
“Ye Old Wet Blanket was my grandmother’s name, I’ll have you know...You’re thirty years old, practically a baby. You’ve just burned yourself out. You need to find the excitement in life again, the thrill to be had from simple things.”
“I do get a thrill from simple things,” I countered. “Didn’t I mention I fixed my tap this weekend? And I had Earl Grey tea with breakfast.”
“Oh. Stop. Too much excitement. I can’t handle it. "
― L.H. Cosway , The Cad and the Co-Ed (Rugby, #3)
35
" What was Sean like growing up?” he asked, opening the door to my building and placing his hand on the small of my back.
“Oh, ha ha.” I shook my head, my grin automatic. “Basically the same as he is now.”
“Really?”
“Yes. When he was eight, all he wanted for Christmas was an Italian suit.”
William chuckled, insomuch as William chuckled, and blinked once slowly. “I believe it.”
“Actually,” I corrected, “he was also obsessed with the SkyMall catalogue. He loves gadgets, which is great for me because I always know what to get him. The odder the gadget, the more he’ll love it.”
“Like what?”
“Um, let’s see. Like a waffle maker that also warms your maple syrup.”
“That’s not that odd. That’s awesome.”
“Okay, then how about a serenity cat pod?” I withdrew my keys and faced the door to my apartment, half-hoping, half-despairing that Bryan was already gone.
“A what?”
“A pod with mood lighting that makes purring sounds and vibrates. It’s like a little bed, but more modern, for your cat.”
“He doesn’t have a cat.”
“Doesn’t matter. He would’ve loved it. "
― L.H. Cosway , The Cad and the Co-Ed (Rugby, #3)
