Though I attempted not think about it, I was possessed by thoughts of his milky skin, curious if it got marked up if he was held that night.

“Because I’m from Georgia,” he replied. “Georgia’s known for peaches.”

“So that’s where you get that accent.”

Cal laughed and leaned back in the chair, grinning at me impishly. “I have an accent?”

I nodded, wondering why it felt so good to have his eyes on me. “What part of Georgia are you from?” I didn’t know anything about the state, but I knew I wanted to hear him speak, so I tried to figure out a way to make it happen.

“Douglas. It’s a small town full of farms and not much else,” he replied. “My family owns acres of tobacco. They’re still there picking, and thankfully, I’m not.”

“Is it tough work?”

“Being around my family? Very.” He chuckled, and I internally groaned at myself for thinking he was so goddamn clever. “Do you want to hear a fun fact?”

“Alright.”

“Douglas was named for Stephen A. Douglas, the Senator from Illinois who lost to Abraham Lincoln in the presidential election of 1860.”

“I thought it was going to be something about you.”

“It is about me,” he stated. “My hometown was named for a loser and now I’m living in the land of Lincoln with a man named Abraham. My Emancipation Proclamation.”

I considered telling Cal about my birth day explosion but decided it wasn’t necessary to share, too bothered by his reference to Abraham to want to say anything else at all.

“Well, I thought it was interesting,” Cal said, seemingly unfazed by my lack of reply. “I need some fresh air.” He stood up and I did as well, preparing to say goodbye though I wanted to stay in the office, even just to look at him. “Come on.”

“Where?” I asked, my feet instinctively padding after his as he crossed the club and opened the main door.

“Does it matter?” Cal asked.

It didn’t.

I offered him a cigarette and watched his lips wet the paper filter as I cupped my hands around the roll and lit it for him.

“This is the only tobacco my fingers will ever touch again,” he informed me, blowing a plume of smoke into the crisp air.