this whole time. Why didn’t you pursue a relationship after that?” I asked.
“Like I said, we didn’t want to ruin our relationship, or mess up the group. Plus, I was going to culinary school, and he was going away to study business … The timing wasn’t right. Then, it seemed like one of us was always dating someone, so it never worked out.”
“Did you want it to?” Sasha asked.
“Yes,” Gaby admitted sadly. “I never stopped wanting him. That’s why I’m telling you guys this now. I don’t know what to do … Scott is about to make a big mistake and marry that horrible woman.”
Sasha and I nodded in agreement; none of us had an ounce of love for Victoria.
“What do you want to do?” Sasha asked.
“I want to stop him,” Gaby responded.
Chapter 23 – Cal
“I had sex with Shelly,” I said quietly, so only Scott and TJ could hear me. We were in the bleachers at the high school, waiting for Craig’s opening game to start. We’d gotten there early to get good seats, but people were starting to fill in around us, and I didn’t want anyone to overhear my words, least of all my mother, who was sitting in the bleachers above us.
“That’s great, man,” TJ said with a grin as he took a bite of his loaded hot dog.
Scott made a face at TJ, then turned to me seriously and asked, “How’d that go?”
“It was rough,” I admitted softly. “I mean, the sex was fantastic, but afterwards …”
“What happened?” TJ asked around a mouth full of food.
Scott hit him in the arm and asked, “What happened?”
“Ow,” TJ protested, then took another bite.
“It turned awkward,” I replied. “I wanted to stay, you know … Talk stuff out and sleep over, but she didn’t want me to. She said she couldn’t handle it.”
“What are you complaining about?” TJ asked. “Sex without having to cuddle afterwards … That’s the best.”
Scott hit him again.
“Do that one more time, bro, and I’m hitting back.”
“This is my wife, TJ, not some one-night stand. I’m not looking for a quick lay, I’m trying to get my marriage back.” My voice began to rise as I finished my sentence, and my mom cleared her throat behind us, indicating that she could hear us. “Just forget about it,” I spat out.
“Cal, I’m sorry, man, you know I didn’t mean it like that,” TJ replied. “You and Shelly are gonna work it out.”
Scott nodded and clapped me on the back. “You’re gonna get her back.”
The game was starting, so we turned to the field.
I stood up and clapped, shouting as Craig rounded the bases after hitting a triple.
“He’s so good,” Scott said with a grin as he put his fingers to his lips and let out a shrill whistle.
“Yeah, he’s going to go far,” I said with pride. “He’s not destined to be a grease monkey, I can tell you that.”
“Hey,” TJ responded. “Nothing wrong with turning a wrench.”
“Shit, I know that, but it’s not the most dependable way to earn a living,” I said wryly. TJ made a face and took a pull of his root beer.
Our shop was in a bit of a slump. We weren’t getting as many appointments as usual, and walk-in business hadn’t been good. It looked like we were about to get fewer hours, which wasn’t good news for TJ or myself.
“Speaking of which, you remember my buddy Brock?” TJ asked.
“From the west side store?” I asked. TJ had started out years ago at a store on the other side of town, before he’d moved to work in the shop with me.
“Yeah,” TJ confirmed. “He left a couple years ago and started his own painting business. It’s been going pretty good. He said if I needed the cash, he could bring me in for some jobs. I’m gonna start next week. If you’re interested, I can throw your name in.”
I’d never been a painter, but if we were losing hours at the shop, I’d need to pick up a paycheck wherever I could. “Sounds good, thanks.”
“Brock is the dude that was hitting on Gaby at the
“Like I said, we didn’t want to ruin our relationship, or mess up the group. Plus, I was going to culinary school, and he was going away to study business … The timing wasn’t right. Then, it seemed like one of us was always dating someone, so it never worked out.”
“Did you want it to?” Sasha asked.
“Yes,” Gaby admitted sadly. “I never stopped wanting him. That’s why I’m telling you guys this now. I don’t know what to do … Scott is about to make a big mistake and marry that horrible woman.”
Sasha and I nodded in agreement; none of us had an ounce of love for Victoria.
“What do you want to do?” Sasha asked.
“I want to stop him,” Gaby responded.
Chapter 23 – Cal
“I had sex with Shelly,” I said quietly, so only Scott and TJ could hear me. We were in the bleachers at the high school, waiting for Craig’s opening game to start. We’d gotten there early to get good seats, but people were starting to fill in around us, and I didn’t want anyone to overhear my words, least of all my mother, who was sitting in the bleachers above us.
“That’s great, man,” TJ said with a grin as he took a bite of his loaded hot dog.
Scott made a face at TJ, then turned to me seriously and asked, “How’d that go?”
“It was rough,” I admitted softly. “I mean, the sex was fantastic, but afterwards …”
“What happened?” TJ asked around a mouth full of food.
Scott hit him in the arm and asked, “What happened?”
“Ow,” TJ protested, then took another bite.
“It turned awkward,” I replied. “I wanted to stay, you know … Talk stuff out and sleep over, but she didn’t want me to. She said she couldn’t handle it.”
“What are you complaining about?” TJ asked. “Sex without having to cuddle afterwards … That’s the best.”
Scott hit him again.
“Do that one more time, bro, and I’m hitting back.”
“This is my wife, TJ, not some one-night stand. I’m not looking for a quick lay, I’m trying to get my marriage back.” My voice began to rise as I finished my sentence, and my mom cleared her throat behind us, indicating that she could hear us. “Just forget about it,” I spat out.
“Cal, I’m sorry, man, you know I didn’t mean it like that,” TJ replied. “You and Shelly are gonna work it out.”
Scott nodded and clapped me on the back. “You’re gonna get her back.”
The game was starting, so we turned to the field.
I stood up and clapped, shouting as Craig rounded the bases after hitting a triple.
“He’s so good,” Scott said with a grin as he put his fingers to his lips and let out a shrill whistle.
“Yeah, he’s going to go far,” I said with pride. “He’s not destined to be a grease monkey, I can tell you that.”
“Hey,” TJ responded. “Nothing wrong with turning a wrench.”
“Shit, I know that, but it’s not the most dependable way to earn a living,” I said wryly. TJ made a face and took a pull of his root beer.
Our shop was in a bit of a slump. We weren’t getting as many appointments as usual, and walk-in business hadn’t been good. It looked like we were about to get fewer hours, which wasn’t good news for TJ or myself.
“Speaking of which, you remember my buddy Brock?” TJ asked.
“From the west side store?” I asked. TJ had started out years ago at a store on the other side of town, before he’d moved to work in the shop with me.
“Yeah,” TJ confirmed. “He left a couple years ago and started his own painting business. It’s been going pretty good. He said if I needed the cash, he could bring me in for some jobs. I’m gonna start next week. If you’re interested, I can throw your name in.”
I’d never been a painter, but if we were losing hours at the shop, I’d need to pick up a paycheck wherever I could. “Sounds good, thanks.”
“Brock is the dude that was hitting on Gaby at the
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