Never a Hero

sighed and presented my arm for his inspection. Nick’s fingers were gentle as he peeled off the tape and lifted the bit of gauze.
    I was right. He did laugh. But it wasn’t mockery. He laughed at the intimacy of a shared joke as he looked at it: the red and yellow Superman logo, tattooed on my left biceps. He leaned over to kiss my shoulder. “It’s perfect.”
    He was reapplying the tape when his doorbell rang. We still hadn’t quite decided which apartment we were living in. Mine had more windows. His had the piano. For now, we occupied both.
    “Are you expecting somebody?” he asked.
    “Am I ever?”
    “Maybe Nathan?”
    “No.” Nathan and I had become good friends over the last couple of months, but I knew he wouldn’t stop by unannounced. I opened the door and found myself facing my past: Regina.
    “Hi, Erwin,” she said, obviously confused. “I thought you lived upstairs.”
    “It’s Owen. And I do.” Mostly.
    “Oh. Well, can I talk to whoever lives down here?”
    Nick came up behind me, practically radiating Annoyed Boyfriend. I didn’t miss the admiring look she gave him, or the way she dismissed me to smile at him.
    “Can I help you?” he asked.
    “It’s about the piano,” she said. “I miss it. I was wondering if there was any chance of me getting it back? I could even buy it from you, if you’re not asking too much, and I’d be happy to pay for a moving company.”
    My piano , I thought. And my boyfriend. It was with great deal of satisfaction that I pushed Nick back inside and said to her, as I closed the door, “Get your own.”

With many thanks to Rowan, who is always a tremendous help.
    Also, thank you to Lori and Heidi for bearing with me.

Second Hand: A Tucker Springs Novel (with Heidi Cullinan)
    Promises
    A to Z
    The Letter Z
    Strawberries for Dessert
    Paris A to Z
    Putting Out Fires
    One More Soldier
    Between Sinners and Saints
    Song of Oestend
    Saviours of Oestend
    Blind Space
    Cinder
    Family Man (with Heidi Cullinan)
    Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding (coming June 2013)