Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

he’d had little access to her even via phone. No way was heputting himself through the torture of not being around her or even being ableto talk to her much for another whole weekend.

So, while it felt like they were both still avoiding the subjectof what they were calling this little arrangement, her bringing him home tomeet her entire family felt pretty significant. Since she was still just afreshman in college, he couldn’t really expect her to commit to anything tooserious. She still had nearly four years to go. Anything could happen between nowand then. Byron would just be grateful that the arrangement so far was workingout better than he’d hoped. Though the last three weeks hadn’t been withoutincident, damn it.

Byron had never realized just how many of his lady friends hadturned customers and vice versa. Therefor as much as he’d diligently gonethrough his phone deleting what were now unnecessary contacts, and evenblocking a few he knew could be persistent like Irma, there’d still been severalunnerving as all hell occurrences.

Just yesterday he’d found himself groveling again when Savannah surprisedhim by arriving at the shop after her late afternoon class. When Byron hadspoken to her earlier in the day, he’d been disappointed to hear she wouldn’tbe able to make it out to hang with him because she still had a paper to finishand turn in that evening.

The one time he’d been grateful he didn’t have to worry about hershowing up because a certain touchy feely lady friend had brought her car inand asked to speak with him specifically. She’d been in the middle of flirtingoutrageously with Byron in the front lobby when Nine had cleared his throatloudly. It was only then that Byron’s dumb ass noticed Savannah standing at theshops entrance watching what he knew he would’ve considered an infuriating exchangehad the tables been turned.

Turned out yesterday Savannah’s late class had been cancelled.So, she’d used the time to finish her paper and decided to surprise him. Normally,a turn of event like that would’ve made Byron ecstatic. Instead, he foundhimself scrambling to do some damage control—again. He’d been quick to abruptlycut his conversation and met Savannah at the door, kissing her long and deep. Hehadn’t bothered introducing her to the client because he refused to give his associationwith the gal any significance. She was just another client as far as he wasconcerned. Like the many others he dealt with daily. But the damage had beendone and once again he’d been a groveling mess the moment he got Savannahupstairs.

As usual she’d been perfect about it. Even went as far as to assurehim she expected a guy like him who hadn’t had a girlfriend in years to havelots of lady friends. That didn’t exactly make him feel better. She mayas well have called him a man whore and that’s not the image he wanted her tohave of him. Sure, he’d been free to do as he pleased with whomever he pleasedfor years. But not anymore damn it, and each time he’d thought he’d gained alittle traction in conveying this, a new exasperating incident had him scramblingagain.

Only thing that calmed his growing anxiety about blowing thiswith her, was that yesterday she’d also added something she hadn’t mentioned afterthe other instances in the past three weeks. She said as long as he continuedto be completely honest with her and they stuck to their agreement, she didn’texpect his past to just disappear. Then she’d laughed at his yet again racingheart.

It was almost midnight and Byron and Savannah were still videochatting. Unlike yesterday, she hadn’t been able to get out of her late classand had another assignment and some reading she needed to finish tonight. Eventhen Byron had managed to weasel his way into her study time. She had an examtomorrow and he told her to email her the study material. He’d been helping hercram for it. But they were wrapping it up because the exam was for her morningclass.

“I get to see you tomorrow night though, right?”

As always, she smiled brightly anytime, he was so shamelessly blatantabout how anxious he was to be with her again. Here they’d be spending thewhole weekend together and Byron was trying to sneak even more time with herbeforehand. But Byron didn’t even care anymore. The fact that she’d warned himthat he’d very likely be in for some more grilling from the rest of herextended family and he still agreed to go to her grandparents’ bash saidenough.

“Yes. My late afternoon class was cancelled again. I guess theprofessor has the flu or something. So, I’ll have time to finish my homeworkearly again.”

Byron’s mind was already racing before she’d even finishedspeaking. They’d been so busy with her cramming and talk of this weekend theyhadn’t discussed her schedule tomorrow. “Wait, so you can be here even earlierthan usual?”

She nodded smiling giddy. “Actually, I could be there wayearly because I can leave class as soon as I’m done with my exam tomorrowmorning. Which means I’ll be able to start on my homework as soon as I’m home.But you’re closing tomorrow, right?”

“I can change that. How early is way early?”

Her giggling had him smiling like an idiot, but he knew his too excitableheart had a lot to do with it also. In the past three weeks they’d hung out atleast four times a week, but he’d had her to himself all day less than ahandful of those times. He knew their weekend was just days away, but this waseven better.

“Well, class starts at eight and they give us three hours tofinish the exam, but it usually takes me just a little over one.”

Byron who’d been lying back in bed chatting with her on hislaptop sat up suddenly. “So, you could be here as early as nine in themorning?”

She smiled big nodding again though her broad smile seemed a bitnervous. Kind of like what Byron was suddenly feeling knowing he might have herto himself for four whole days. Well, to himself for two of them. The other twodays the rest of her ginormous family would be around the