Page 56 of Misadventures of a Biker

They hadn’t, but I hadn’t expected them to, either.

He coughed a dry laugh. “That’s what I thought.” He turned toward the living room. “You’re like that Ferrari that’s always parked down at that crappy car dealer on Pine Ridge. Your presence elevates their worth. They keep you around because it makes them look good. Rest assured, none of those worthless bastards will be at your side when you’re drawing your last dying breath.”

I felt the need to rebut his statement, but I couldn’t. As much as I didn’t like hearing them, the points he made were all valid.

None of them, however, were what I wanted to hear.

Chapter Eighteen

Teddi

Seated beside me on the couch, Devin held his phone at arm’s length. He gave me an apologetic look. When the voice on the other end went silent, he raised it to his ear. “I’m not going to do anything stupid. You can stop calling. Everything’s fine.”

Having Devin stay in my home was a huge step for me, even if it was only for one night. My life’s sexual encounters hadn’t been infrequent by anyone’s standards, but I had a rule I followed with each man I slept with.

I didn’t bring them into my home.

The exceptions were the two long-term relationships I’d been in. Having both of them end poorly supported my belief that allowing men into my home was a precursor to a relationship’s failure.

I hoped that this time things were different.

“Fine,” Devin said, his voice thick with frustration. “I’ll call you in the morning.”

He hung up the phone. He tossed it to the far end of the couch and shook his head. “That old man drives me nuts.”

“I think it’s cute that he cares enough to call.”

“Three times?” Devin asked. “Since we got off work?”

“What do you two normally do on Friday night?”

“Same thing we do every night. Watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Talk about whatever is in the news. Get into an argument about our differing opinions. I go to the gym at the clubhouse and work out, and he goes to bed. Same thing every night.”

“He probably misses you.”

“I’m sure he does,” he said. “But I’m not going to live with him forever.”

A tinge of hope ran through me. But I feared asking where he intended to move would produce an answer I didn’t want to hear.

“How long has it been since his wife passed?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Ten years, maybe?”

“I’m sure he looks forward to your company. This is the first night you’ve been away, isn’t it?”

“Since I moved in? Yeah.”

Being in a relationship required maintenance, part of which was provided—to me at least—in the form of advice from friends who had been through the same experiences. I wondered if Devin relied on Herb for advice, or if Kate was his go-to sounding board.

“What do you guys talk about every night?” I asked.

“Dumb shit.” He chuckled and then looked at me. “What’s a hand job worth?”

I gave him a look. “A what?”

“Hand job,” he said. “You know. Giving a guy a handy.”

I repositioned myself to face him. “Jacking someone off?”