The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 76

"I'm so glad you and your friends had a nice brunch today," Shawn said as we talked on a mid-September Sunday night. He then yawned loudly into the phone.

"It's not even eight o'clock in California. Why are you so sleepy?" I asked.

"This is why my family calls me 'grandpa.' I get tired after dinner. Plus, last night's show was pretty exhausting, but maybe that's because I overdid it in Vegas."

He'd told me the day before about the good time he and his friends had in Sin City, and I felt a twinge of envy that I wasn't there to join in the fun. My weekend with the girls had been fantastic, but the whole time it felt slightly off, like a remake of a classic movie. The new version might have been be good, but it could never compare to the original.

"I've told you before that I am a night owl. Sometimes I have to force myself to go to sleep because I'll be reading and don't want to stop even though my eyes will literally be closing."

"You need to listen to your body more," he advised. "I figure if I'm tired, I should sleep."

"But sometimes the book is so good!"

"I get it, but life is often about sacrificing immediate pleasure for your overall health and wellness."

"Is that how you live? You constantly say no to things you enjoy because it's not necessarily the healthiest option?" I asked.

He chuckled into the phone. "No. I give in to my needs and desires pretty frequently, but as far as sleep goes, I try to get the amount my body needs."

"So...." I drawled, "let's say you've got a gorgeous woman next to you in bed, but you're yawning like crazy. Do you opt for sleep or sex?"

"How late is it in this scenario?"

"Are you serious?"

Shawn laughed again. "No. I would choose sex over sleep ninety-nine times out of a hundred, but if I'm overtired, it probably wouldn't go on for hours."

I let out a long sigh because it had been ages since I'd last had real sex.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Can I confess something?"

"Sure. You can tell me anything, Lucy."

"I have not been with a guy in forever. This is honestly the longest dry spell I've ever had. Sitting on the phone discussing sex, even though it's not in a particularly sexy way, has me somewhat frustrated," I admitted.

"If I weren't across the continent, I'd be on my way over to your apartment right now."

This made me giggle. "Really?"

"Really. Can I make a confession now?"

"Of course," I replied.

"When you left for Vegas, I was kicking myself that we hadn't taken things to that level. I know I said I want to go slow, but now I'm not going to see you until the end of October and that feels like so long to wait. If we'd done it before I resumed tour, I'd be able to get by on the memory."

"I, for one, was very willing to take that step. I really appreciate that you wanted to wait, even if I'm not sure what exactly you've been waiting for."

Shawn didn't answer right away, but when he did, his tone was serious. "Last time, physically things went from zero to sixty overnight. With you, my goal has been to savor the things that lead up to the big event. I want to get to know you, but more importantly, I want us both to be sure. You've mentioned your ex and obviously I struggled for a long time, so it felt wrong to jump right into sex."