Amazing Love Story (NG1)

16 - Waiting

Victoria returned from work on Tuesday morning to find Garrett still in bed. She pulled off the cover. "Get up!"

He didn't move. "Give me a few minutes."

"No! Get going."

"I worked yesterday."

"And I did too. That's what grownups do."

Victoria never had a mother, but she sure sounded like one. She didn't want to be his mother, but was just about to get a glass of water. Exhausted, she didn't care if she had to sleep on wet sheets. Her chest tightened. Why did his laziness bother her physically? Her heart raced and head pounding.

"This will wake you up." She dribbled water on his head.

"What the fuck, Tori!"

"Get up and go to work."

She stood glaring as he sat up and slowly dressed, complaining the whole time. She watched him walk out the door and even looked out the window to make sure he had his trailer with his mower and equipment hitched to his pickup truck. His business took up half their driveway, but the other three didn't mind because they supported him. Apparently, they had more confidence in him than he deserved. It was hard to help someone who wouldn't help himself.

After he left, she walked Bear to his corner, showered, and ate. When she tried to sleep, it took longer than she wanted. She even let Bear on the bed to cuddle with him. A part of her wanted to go to the beach, but she needed a nap first. Also, she needed to put some distance between her and Matthew, because she had been thinking about him more than she should. Even if she didn't have Garrett, he was leaving. She had already had one too many summer flings.

After a three-hour nap, she took Bear for a long walk in the neighborhood adjacent to her street. Bear looked disappointed when she picked up the leash and not her car keys. He whined and followed her to the door when she picked up her keys to go to Hannaford to buy some groceries. She was out of yogurt and Garett had eaten through the box of power bars while gaming. He used to go to the gym but complained his work was enough of a workout. If only he worked more, she had been thinking the same thing when he arrived home at four-thirty.

She greeted him without a hello. "Did you finish everything for the day?"

"I know what I'm doing."

On his way to the shower, he walked from the bathroom to the bedroom with just a towel around him. With his muscles and his tattoos, he looked like a bad boy. When they first met, his persona excited her. After she knew him better, he was as self-conscious as the rest of the world. Since her trip, she didn't know what to think. He wasn't a bad boy, but he didn't excite her either. On his chest above his left pec was a tat with her name. He trusted her enough to brand himself. What did it say about her that she turned her head at his half naked body and continued to cook dinner?

Seeing the rain on Wednesday morning disappointed her. At some point the evening before, she decided she and Matthew could be friends. Unfortunately, her friendship would have to wait another day until the rain stopped.

Garrett stayed in bed. "Are you working today?"

"It's raining. Can't mow in the rain."

"Don't you have anything to do besides mowing? I see crews weeding and mulching and other things in the rain."

"I don't have any of that to do. Okay?" He turned away from her.

Victoria let it go and spent most of the day avoiding him. She took Bear to the corner a few times, but was a hypocrite and didn't want a long walk in the rain. When Becka came home, she resisted the urge to escape downstairs.