He leans away, breathing hard. "Can't get enough of you."

"I know." My hand slides down his hard abs to the bulge of his erection. "Tonight," I promise with a grin.

"Damn right." He smiles back. "Go. Before I drive us home and spend another day making love to you."

My god … I want that so much. Heart soaring, stomach fluttering, and blood racing too fast for me to feel the cold, I hop out of the truck and float to the diner, turning to wave when I reach the door.

He waves back.

I walk in, a grinning happy fool.

Eileen eyes me from her place behind the counter. The normal crowd is present, about four regulars. I don't feel quite capable of my normal concentration anyway and am grateful the Christmas rush is over. My hands tremble when I pull off my coat and swap snow boots for flats in the staff section.

Todd's schedule is in my apron, along with the business card Petr gave me on our first meeting. I check Todd's calendar to see it empty for this evening. Automatically, I calculate what time he should be home after leaving school.

And then stop to debate. Simon said The Monster would be arrested today. I guess I should assume that means by the usual close of business hours, around five or six. Today is the last instance I'll have to time Todd getting home.

It doesn't seem real.

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"Have a good Christmas?" Eileen asks when I emerge.

"Best ever."

"Looks like it."

I make a face at her. She smiles and returns to the crossword puzzle she's doing in the slow morning. Checking on the regulars, I move behind the counter and pull a sheet off the ticket pad.

My thoughts go briefly to my mother, and I resolve to call her tonight, after work. Simon's warning about not jumping the gun is at the back of my mind. I purposely didn't call her this past weekend for that reason. I ache to talk to her in depth for the first time in four years, to tell her where I am, how well Todd is doing, and about Petr.

I quell the urge and focus on the paper.

What I want to do with my life, I write. I sit, staring at the otherwise blank paper, cross out the starter sentence, and decide to do some brainstorming. The list eventually is named My Ideal Life.

Todd and Petr are the first two people I place on it, followed by a few of the skills I've picked up over the years. Waitressing is present, along with graphic design. Anton's projects reminded me of why I got into design in the first place, because I love the creativity the field allows. I have an artist's eye but not the ability to draw well.




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