Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“The fact that you were my student was the hurdle,” he swallows. “The thrill was you.”
“Just friends?” I confirm.
“Just one kiss,” he jokes, and I know the blush that creeps over me is obvious.
“See, this is why us being friends could never work,” I point out.
He runs his fingers through his hair, messing up the neatly gelled strands. “I don’t want to be your friend, but I will,” he sighs. “If that’s what it takes to talk to you again… and to make you not hate me.”
He meets my eye, and I let out a breathy laugh.
What the fuck am I doing?
“You look like you want to rip my head off,” he laughs.
“That’s because I do,” I chuckle.
The waitress returns with our main course, and we begin picking off each other’s plates, like the last time we ate together was only yesterday, and not years ago.
“So how’s your sister doing?” I swallow my food, needing a change of subject.
“Good!” His face lights up as he grabs a forkful of my ravioli. “She’s getting married in June.”
“No kidding!” I smile, taking my own bite of his chicken parm. “Good for her!”
“Yeah,” he smiles, cutting and placing more chicken on my plate. “She’s marrying this friend of mine, Matt. I grew up with him.”
“Uh oh,” I make a face.
“Nah, it’s okay,” he explains. “He’s a good guy, and he’s fine with moving up here so she can continue teaching. He’s actually giving up his job at his father’s law firm, which you know, went over real well with my parents,” he laughs. “It’s just strange, because he’s my friend, and well, she’s my sister.”
“Yeah,” I laugh, rolling my eyes, watching as he takes another one of my ravioli’s. “You know how sisters can be.”
“Don’t be mad at Gracie,” he begs.
“You shouldn’t have involved her!”
“I would say let it go, but I know who I’m talking to,” he smirks. “So tell me about Italy, and don’t leave anything out.”
Our conversation quickly takes a turn towards smooth and easy-going. I tell him about my time overseas, my best friend, Ren, and all about school. He tells me about his robot winning the science fair, his promotion at the high school, and I’m reminded how talking to him is as easy as breathing.
Friends. Can I let him back in my life and just be friends?
When I talk he listens, and smiles, as if he’s hanging on to everything I say. The way he’s looking at me right now makes me want to pretend that that day in his office, with his wife - ex-wife - never happened. We fall quiet, and I stare as he takes another bite of food, watching the way his lips move.
Do I want to kiss him? Kill him? Forgive him? Hate him? Love him?
Our eyes meet, and I sigh. No to all of the above. Right now, I just want to talk like we used to.
We finish dessert, and I know better than to argue about paying, so I don’t even break out my wallet when the bill comes.
“Thank you,” he whispers, feigning shock.
It’s slightly killing me on the inside, but I want to prove to him that he doesn’t know me as well as he thinks he still does.
“I should be the one thanking you,” I shrug. “You paid.”
“But I know how badly you wanted to,” he shakes his head.
“No,” I sigh, and he gives me a look. “Okay, well maybe. But only because of all the times you paid for my lunch. I thought I could finally repay you.”
“You came here tonight,” he sighs. “That’s all I need.”
“I dunno,” I shrug. “Maybe you have to pay child support or something.”
“The kid wasn’t mine, Luci!” He pleads. “Will you please look at the damn paperwork?” He grabs hold of the envelopes in his pocket, shoving them my way again.
“Bad joke,” I hold my hands up, not taking anything from him. “Besides,” I continue, “This isn’t a date, and you paying sort of make it seem like it is.”
“It seems like a date,” he rolls his eyes. “Because we’re drawn together.”
I roll my eyes back at him in response.
“Fine then,” he laughs, helping me into my coat before getting into his. “I paid as a friend, and you can get the next time.” I give him a look of disbelief, and he’s already shaking his head no, fully admitting that it won’t go down that way, ever.
“If there is a next time,” I add. “I haven’t decided yet.”
We walk outside, and I stop once we get to the end of the block. “Thank you,” I bow my head slightly. “I’m parked this way, so, um, goodnight.”
I start walking, making a face over how dumb I sounded.
He soon falls in line with me, and I roll my eyes.
“Where are you parked?” I feel the heat of his body.