My Second Chance at Love

Just a busy Sunday

Emma’s POV…

I woke up bright and early as I do everyday. Job hazard…

I knew that I needed to text Rob and remind him I’d be using the joint account for my groceries today. I left all of that with him so I literally had nothing. He didn’t know where I lived so I was vague about all texts. There were two substantially sized towns within twenty minutes of his home so I told him my apartment was in the other.

“Hey, just a reminder I’m getting groceries today. I’ll be frugal but it will probably still be a few hundred.”

“Where are you going?”

Ugh! I’m not telling him. I’m going to Walmart but if I tell him that he will know I don’t live in Oak Grove. I tell him the Market.

“Hope to see you there,” he responds.

Ewww. At least my lie will get me some peace. I get out of bed and ignore his text. I begin to look through my clothes. I decide to wear some black yoga pants. I just bought them a few months back and they actually fit me the way yoga pants should, snug. Rob hated them. He said they showed off all the dimples in my ass, but today I feel confident, almost sexy, in them. I wear them over a satin thong because I don’t want to have panty lines.

I pair my yoga pants with a cream off the shoulder sweater. It’s loose and kinda long. I may have gained a smidgen of confidence, but I’m still a high school teacher not too far from here and don’t need to run into a student or parent with my rear showing. I wear a one shoulder bra so I don’t have a bra strap showing. Once I’m dressed, I straighten my hair just to smooth the ends and put on some mascara and gloss.

I grab my wallet and keys and head to my car. There’s very few people in the parking lot so I smile and get in my car. I head to Starbucks and grab a coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Filled with food and caffeine, I head to Walmart. At Walmart I check my phone, because I’d been building my list there. I see a snap from Andrew of the sunrise telling me it’s almost as pretty as me. Then I see one of of him with all the power lines. I’m so nervous from his overly dangerous job that I almost miss his caption. “BAMF” what even is that? I send him a snap asking. He replies with one telling me that it’s a bad ass MF’er and he looks so hot and sweaty but also hot as hell.

I smirk at the camera and decide to tell him he looks hot. He can take that for what it means, either way because I mean it both. I’ve never been one for being bold, but I want to be. He gives me some reply about how he was hot and now I’ve given him heart palpitations. Ha! Whatever! He even asked me what I was wearing. Oh, he wants to play I see. Well, mister, two can play. I take a walk to the clothing section and find a mirror. I have to wander around until everyone is gone from the area, which takes longer than I expected. I grab the hem of my sweater and roll it up enough so it almost meets the top of my pants, giving the illusion that it’s a crop top, then I tuck the excess behind me. I turn my camera to forward facing, smirk hard, and snap the picture. “Just some clothes,” I tell him.

Before he can even open it I do the same thing but in reverse. I make sure my ass is on full display. I want him drooling. I hit send. As soon as he opens it, he screenshots it. Oh s**t! I wasn’t expecting that! Then, nothing. Absolutely nothing. Did he have to go jerk off? Is he busy? Did I gross him out for being too forward?

Whatever, I have to finish shopping. I send him a snap when I get my grocery cart full, then one of them loaded into my trunk. My total was $384.72. I know Rob is going to flip but I warned him. It’s partly my money anyway. When I get back to my apartment, I unload all my groceries into my house and put them on the kitchen table. I send him a picture of that. I’m actually really proud of myself. I haven’t sent him anymore pictures of me because I’m not sure why he’s gone silent.

I start putting everything away because it has to be done and because I really need a distraction. This silence from Andrew is stressing me out. I finally finish and realize it’s past lunch time. I missed it entirely. I grab a handful of crackers out of a cabinet and a glass of water. I hear my phone and almost run back to the table. I snatch it up and see Andrew’s eye nearly swollen shut. “Defending my honor.” What does that even mean?!?! I hit call before I think.

He picks up almost immediately. “What happened? What do you mean defending my honor?” I fire my questions so fast.

“I was filling out the paperwork for the next job site. I got you snap of your clothes in the mirror. I bit my lip.” He then pokes his bloody bottom lip at me.

“Oh, why’d you do that?”

“I was trying to stay quiet and not announce to the guys what I was looking at. I didn’t want to hear their s**t. Then before I was prepared you sent me the picture of your ass in those pants. Can you wear those next time I see you? I want to feel your ass through them.”

She has the audacity to giggle. She has no damn clue what she did to me.

“Anyway, I took a screenshot. I’m sorry. I’ll delete it if you want me to. I guess I said something, too. My apprentice snatched my phone. He’s an ass. Then he said something about wanting a turn with you when I’m done. I’ve never been that pissed. I hit him.”

I suck in all the air I can hold. He won’t even look at the phone.

“Anyway, I got pulled away and the f**ker came and sucker punched me in the eye. My boss decided he needed to man up and do his job at that moment so he sent us both back to the hotel for the day.”

“I’m really sorry. How bad is your eye?” This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have sent him anything that provocative while he’s at work. What was I even thinking?

“Hurts but it’ll be fine in a few days. Why would you come kiss it and make it better?”

“Ummmm I don’t think I can. I have to be at work at 7 tomorrow. I’ve got a lot going on for the next two weeks.”

“What do you do?”

“Oh, I’m a teacher.” This is it. This is where he turns out just like Rob with all the naughty teacher s**t. I hold a breath without even realizing I’m holding it.

“So you’re just like me. You just want to help people with your time. That’s awesome. When I finally settle down, I want to be married to a nurse or a teacher. You know? Someone that’s as passionate about helping their community as I am.”

There’s so much awe in his voice. I blow out the breath I was holding. He’s impressed by me and my job. Apparently, I take too long to respond.

“Why are you frowning?”

“I just pegged you as having the sexy teacher image. I’m honestly relieved that you don’t.”

“Oh, yeah no. That’s messed up. I’m not into pedophiles so…. Anyway, do you teach kindergarten or first grade or something?”

I burst out laughing at how wrong he is. I was wrong. This is where he will run. Men don’t like smart women. It’s intimidating. “I teach high school math, like trigonometry and calculus.”

“Oh s**t no! I barely passed algebra and geometry. I wouldn’t make it in that.”

Our conversation just flowed. He respects me for me and it’s so nice.

I hear a lot of hollering and laughing in the background and he turns around and frowns.

“The rest of the guys are here. I guess we’re gonna go eat. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye, beautiful.”

As soon as we disconnect the call I get another snap. This one isn’t a picture but a message. It’s a phone number. “Text me. Maybe we can have a real phone call.”

I text him quickly so he has my number too.