| After a brief rest, Howie went to the laundry room to get my clothes out of the dryer. While he was gone, I replayed the last few minutes in my mind and realized my faux pas. I had called him Howie. I didn't know how I would explain myself. Maybe he hadn't heard me? I hoped he wouldn't be angry. When he returned, he had a glass of cold water that he shared with me. I dressed in silence. Howie pulled on his sweat pants just as the electricity came back on. We squinted at each other and laughed quietly, almost shyly. I smoothed my hair and pulled it into a ponytail, securing it with an elastic band I found in my pocket. His bed was a mess, so I straightened the comforter. He patted my behind and winked at me. I thought I could die happy now. The doorbell rang and Howie sprinted out into the hall to answer it. AAA had finally arrived. John pulled up at the same with his friend Dana, and he was chock-full of questions. I had already gathered up my sandals and backpack, so I quickly shook John's hand as I headed down the driveway with the AAA battery technician. I jumped into the passenger side of the tech's truck, and Howie followed me. I was digging for my keys in the backpack as he tapped on the window. "Hey.," I rolled down the window. He looked at me for a long moment. "Did you know.all along?" he asked. I nodded, embarrassed. "Hmmm.I guess I'll forgive ya." He winked again. I grinned. I started to roll up the window. "Wait.," he began, and looked deep into me with those huge, beautiful eyes. He sighed an enormous sigh. "Thanks," he said, and gave me a quick kiss. "It was my pleasure, Howie," I replied with a smile |
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