“You can’t ever lose me, Uncle Tor. You’re my favorite person in the whole world.”

I’ve never been anyone’s favorite anything.

Tor

“What are you doing there, handsome?” Lisa sidles up to me, pool stick in her hand, and glances down at the cell phone in my hand.

“Texting my niece.”

“The rock star’s kid?”

“Yup.”

“She’s cute.”

Nodding, I shove my phone back in my pocket. “Yeah, she is.”

She leans closer to me, her breasts pressing against my arm. “You want to head out of here?” Her voice is low, riddled with unspoken, but undeniably clear offers.

I search the crowded bar for her friend, whose name I can’t remember, and find her making out with some guy in a dark booth near the back of the bar.

“What about your friend?”

She glances over in their direction. “Something tells me she’ll be busy for a while. She’ll be alright. I’d rather you drive me home.”

I put our sticks back on the rack, mulling it over in my mind. The loud music and people yelling to be heard are starting to make my head throb. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

After paying our tab, I lead her out to my truck, my hand on the small of her back, and she beams at me when I open the passenger door for her.

“I’m glad you came tonight,” she says when I get behind the wheel. “I know I’ve been a little…harsh on you.”

“I wouldn’t say harsh, Lisa. You’re just speaking your mind. Nothing wrong with that.”

She lets out a laugh. “I’m kinda known for doing that a little too much.”

I throw her a grin. “Trust me, you could be a lot worse.”

She tucks her long black hair behind her ear and smiles across the truck at me. “I’ll try not to be worse.”

“Just be yourself. That’s all any of us should be.”

I hate when women try to change to be what they think a guy wants. Eventually, they slip and the real them will come crashing through, and it’s usually not as good as the person they were pretending to be. I have no time or tolerance for fake people or trying to figure out who they really are.

We talk casually on the drive across town and then sit in silence for a few awkward moments when I pull into her driveway. I’m not good at starting or ending dates. At all.

“I’ll walk you to the door,” I finally say, and jump out to open her door for her.

“You really have the best manners, Toren,” she remarks as she steps out of the truck and takes my arm held out to her. “Opening doors seems to be a lost art.”

“My father taught us how to treat a woman right.”

“Well, it shows. I can’t remember the last time a man opened a door for me.”

“That’s pretty sad.”

“You have no idea,” she agrees.

At her door, she looks up at me expectedly and lays her hand on my shoulder, her finger moving back and forth at the edge of my collar.

“You want to come inside? Have a glass of wine? Or a beer?”

I waver between wanting to fuck out my frustration and wanting to not be that kind of guy anymore. She’s been giving me the green light all night so there’s no question she wants me. One touch, and I’m pretty sure I can have her melting right through this door and dragging me to her bedroom. And it’s tempting, especially after six months and counting of no sex.

“Hmm?” She coaxes, running her hand up to the back of my neck and pulling my lips down to hers.

I let her press my lips to hers for a moment and then slowly pull away. “Not tonight.”

Disappointment curves her mouth into a frown and her cheeks redden. She’s embarrassed, being turned down, and I feel bad for her.

She takes a deep breath to recover. “Tor, we’ve dated a bunch of times, and I really like you.”

“I like you, too.” I chew the inside of my cheek.

“Then I don’t understand why you’ve never done anything more than kiss me. Is there something wrong with me?”

“Fuck no, you’re beautiful.”

“Then what’s the problem?” she asks, glancing down towards my dick. “Is there something wrong with you?”

“Fuck no, again.”

She leans her back against her front door and makes a face at me like I just landed here from Mars. “Then what the hell is going on? I’m confused.”

“Lisa, I was in a relationship for twelve years-”

“You’re still in love with her?” she interrupts. “Is that it?”

I shake my head. “No, that’s not it at all. I’m just not into casual fucking.”

“Casual fucking?” she repeats.

“Yeah…fooling around with no commitment.”

“I know what it means, Toren. And if that’s the issue, I have no problem committing to you. I’m not seeing anyone else.”

Oh shit no. “Neither am I but that’s not quite what I meant.”

“Then what do you mean?”