The Fling

66

Shawn texted me at seven in the morning. I was awake but still in bed, enjoying the quiet of the morning.

You up?

I opted to talk instead of messaging him back, and of course he answered immediately since the phone was undoubtedly in his hand. "It is a bit early for a booty call. Or maybe it's really late, depending on how you look at it."

He chuckled. "Is it ever too early or too late for that? Jesus...I can't remember the last time I texted some girl purely to hook up."

"If I'd given you my number in Palm Springs, I bet you would have hit me up."

"Oh absolutely. That's why I kept trying to get it from you! What time do you want to meet today? I'm wide open."

"Does ten work? Bert is taking the kids to breakfast with Santa at my community's clubhouse, and I want to get them dressed for the photos that will be taken," I replied.

"I'm a little surprised you're not going with them."

"This is a good excursion for them to do with their dad, and you and I need the time together more than I need to watch them talk to some guy in a Santa suit."

"Ten it is. Want to meet at Alfred Coffee?" he suggested. "There's that little park right next to it where we could sit, unless you'd prefer to take our coffees on the hike."

"We can decide when we get there. Is it okay if I bring Cosmo?"

Shawn laughed. "As if you even need to ask. You know I love that good boy!"

"Tell you what...since I'll have him, why don't you grab us coffees and we'll meet at the trail parking lot?"

"Perfect. See you soon, honey."

The rest of the morning flew by. After Bert left with the kids, I showered and put on a cute outfit, making sure to wear the tight athletic pants that made my ass look amazing. Then I grabbed my small backpack and put in a reusable water bottle, a collapsible bowl for Cos, and Shawn's ornament. I loaded the dog into my car, and headed to the canyon trail. When I pulled next to my boyfriend's SUV, he hopped out and retrieved Cosmo from the back seat before handing me my large coffee. He gave me a kiss. "I'm really glad we're doing this."

"So am I." We desperately needed to reconnect, and this was a good start.

We set off on the three mile hike, taking our time since we had drinks and a dog. Unfortunately this meant we couldn't hold hands, because his were both being used. As we walked, he told me about some plans he'd made for his trip home which included a night out with all his friends. I was happy to hear he was doing this, since sometimes I felt he missed out on having a normal twenty-five year old's social life. He was definitely an old soul, and I knew he'd grown up fast in the music industry, but that didn't mean he shouldn't cut loose and act his age.

We trekked in peaceful silence for a few minutes and then Shawn asked, "Did Bert have any luck finding an apartment yesterday?"

I was hoping this wouldn't come up today. "No. He visited a few places but didn't like them."

"That's a surprise," his voice dripped with sarcasm.

I didn't want this to devolve into a fight. "After Christmas, I'm giving him a firm date that he has to be out by. If he can't find an apartment, he'll have to move into a extended stay hotel. This will impact how quickly he pays back his parents, but that's on him, not me."

Shawn nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good plan. You're being more than generous, but there's no reason for him to live with you longer than necessary."

It felt like a crisis had been averted and that maybe we were finally getting past this obstacle. Our conversation returned to a lighter topic, and eventually we made it to the top and took in the beautiful vista. I pointed to a large flat rock that people used as a bench. "Want to stop for a bit? I have something for you." We sat down and after I got the dog some water, I pulled the wrapped ornament from my backpack. "Everyone in my family gets a special ornament each year, and I wanted to include you. I found this in Toronto when Aaliyah and I popped into that cute gift shop while you and Jordan were in the liquor store. It's crazy that they had one like this in Toronto, and it's perfect, given where we met."