“Wow. You look more excited to speak to your student than your wife.”

“You act like you’re ever excited to see me, Aida. You can’t even stand to be in the same room with me for more than a few minutes.”

“Whatever, Stone. I’m going out. I’ll be back later.”

“Where are you going?”

“Out. With friends. We’re going out to dinner and a movie.”

“Have fun. Drive safe.”

She waves her hand dismissively as she heads out of the room. She’s been much more angry than usual lately. I can’t pinpoint what it is, but her patience with me is nonexistent. A part of me wonders if she may know what’s going on, or at least suspect it. It would explain the anger. Another large part of me, though, doesn’t care at this point if she finds out. Our marriage is basically over, and I’m just trying to find the right time to tell her how I feel.

I decide to go to our home gym and do some lifting to kill some time. Hooking my phone up to the gym’s surround sound, I press play on my Spotify playlist, and get started.

About a half hour into my routine, a song comes on that has me pulling out my phone to shoot a quick text off.

Me: “Here with you” by Sick Puppies. If you haven’t heard it, listen to it.

Okay, that may have been corny as fuck, but screw it. His face popped into my mind when the lyrics started. Resuming my workout, I go hard for about another forty-five minutes, sweating bullets by the time I’m done. When I’m finished, I wipe everything off, then swipe my phone off the mat, pleased to see I have a response.

Cash: I know that song and love it.

Cash: Your fave by Whitney came on today.

Smiling at my phone like a fool, I thumb out a response.

Me: It’s okay to admit you love the song. It won’t make you any less of a man.

Cash: Shiiiit. You wish, teach.

Cash: …Okay. It’s low-key fire.

Me: HA! Atta boy.

Cash: Hey now… talk to me like that and you’ll have me poppin’ a boner in the middle of this store.

Jesus Christ. A shiver runs through me, and my hand instinctively goes to grope myself over my pants. Cash is basically the only other person I’ve ever been with, aside from Aida, and she certainly doesn’t talk to me like that.

It’s new… but I like it. I wonder what else I could get him to say to me or what I could get him to do. This could be fun.

Me: Where are you at, Bambi?

Cash: At Target with one of my frat brothers. He needs some new furniture for his room, but his car broke down.

Me: How nice of you.