Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“On a date?” My palms start getting sweaty.
“No.” He shakes his head right away, and the air leaves my body. I should be happy he doesn’t want to take me on a date. How awkward would it be to go on a date with him? Imagine it didn’t work out, and we’d have to live side by side for the whole summer. “I’m asking you if you want to go out on the water.”
I can’t even contain myself when he says that. “Shut up.” I put my hands in front of my mouth. “Don’t tease me like that.”
“I’m not teasing you. I’m serious. We can go out onto the water tomorrow.”
“You aren’t joking?” I ask him again, not sure if he’s about to be like…psych.
“I’m not joking.” He chuckles. “When you finish work, come over, and we will take the boat out.”
“I can be finished by nine,” I tell him, not even bothering to tell him that I don’t have to work every day.
He laughs. “No rush. We can leave whenever.” He pushes off from the counter.
“Deal.” I hold out my hand, waiting for him to shake it. He takes five steps and puts his hand in mine.
“Deal.” Our hands move up and down. “Scout’s honor and all that jazz.” He laughs at me, and again, I’m hit with a visual of him pulling me toward him. Taking his other hand and hugging me around my neck and then kissing my lips.
I let go of his hand as if you just poured ice-cold water on me. “I’m going to go now,” I say, pointing over my shoulder, “before you change your mind and take it back.”
“I won’t take it back,” he assures me, his hand falling to his side. “Come over tomorrow when you are ready.”
I nod at him and walk out of the boat, turning around as soon as I step off the deck. I find him looking down at Beatrice saying something. His head comes up when he sees me. “I forgot to thank you…for dinner.”
“It was my pleasure, Vivienne,” he replies with his hands on his hips. “Have a nice night.”
“You, too, Xavier.” I ignore the way my heart speeds up when he says my name. I walk over to the boat now. Not even bothering doing anything but going inside. I put my hand to my stomach. “Do you think he put some voodoo potion in my food?” I look over at his boat, seeing him coming out and going upstairs. “He played hockey.” I walk to the bedroom where I tossed my computer.
I get onto the bed, bringing the laptop to me and opening Google. “What the hell are you doing?” I ask myself, shocked. “Are you out of your mind?” I close the lid of my laptop, appalled at myself. “That is so wrong on all the levels.”
I get off the bed, taking the laptop to the kitchen and putting it on the table. “Yeah, it’s better to visualize him kissing you than it is to google who he is,” I tell the dark room. “Much better.” I shake my head. “You need to shut up and go to bed, you have a big day tomorrow.” I turn, walking to my bedroom and hoping that time flies by.
CHAPTER 16
XAVIER
“I won’t take it back,” I tell her when she lets go of my hand and it falls to my side. “Come over tomorrow when you are ready.” My hand still tingles from her touch. I move my fingers back and forth, hoping that maybe my hand is just asleep. Except it doesn’t feel like the needles, it’s like a tingle or a touch.
She nods at me and turns, walking out. “What was I supposed to do?” I ask Beatrice, who just looks at me. “Don’t give me that look.” I’m about to say something else when I look up and see her coming back. “Shit, she changed her mind,” I mumble to Beatrice. My palms become sweaty, thinking that she is backing out. I’m so over my head that I don’t even have a chance to think about what this means.
“I forgot to thank you,” she says with a smile, “for dinner.”
“It was my pleasure, Vivienne.” I put my hands on my hips before I decide it’s a good idea to run my hands into her hair. My heart starts to beat even faster than it did before, the pressure starts to form on my chest. I try to steady my heartbeat, knowing I just need a couple of seconds to sit down and center myself. “Have a nice night.” I hope she doesn’t stay around, not knowing if she is going to be present for the full-on panic attack I feel inching its way to the surface.
“You, too, Xavier.” She turns around and walks away. I look and make sure she goes on her boat before I walk out of the galley and upstairs to get some air. I sit down for a second, looking out at the horizon, knowing that it brings me peace. I inhale deeply and then exhale until the beating of my heart feels like it’s normal. Until the pressure on my chest isn’t so tight that it’s going to make it harder for me to breathe.