Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
So Leif Ramsey has a key to my place.
He can come and go as he pleases.
In my heart, even as angry as I am—and I’m always angry—I know he didn’t barge into my place on purpose.
Well, maybe on purpose, but not to gawk at me naked—even though he did.
He was truly concerned.
What bothers me more than the violation of my privacy is that…
I don’t hate that he saw me naked.
In fact…I kind of like it.
21
LEIF
I knock on the door to Terry’s apartment, and another woman—young with brown hair and eyes and wearing…not much—answers.
“Hey, I’m looking for Terry.”
“All right. You must be Leif. I’m Shauna, one of Terry’s roommates. Come on in.”
“One of Terry’s roommates?”
I look around the small apartment. There’s one living room, and maybe two bedrooms.
“Yeah. Five of us live here, actually.”
“Five of you?”
“Yeah, we were all friends in college, and we came out here to New York to find jobs. As you probably know, it’s expensive to live here.”
She’s not wrong, but five roommates? Man…
Good enough. I don’t have to worry about her inviting me back to her place.
“Where are the rest of you?”
“Bonnie, Keisha, and Lucy are all at work. I’m off today.”
“Oh? What do you do?”
“I’m a server. All five of us are. I actually work with Terry.” She smiles at me. “Which is a bummer, because like I said, I’m off today. Terry told me she met you at work.”
I clear my throat. “Yeah.”
“I wish I’d been working.” She smiles again.
“So you guys all went to college together, huh?”
“Yeah. We just graduated a year ago.”
Oh, God. That means Terry is about twenty-two or twenty-three years old. Way too young for me. This date will be short.
Terry comes scrambling out of one of the doorways. She looks nice, in flared jeans and a T-shirt that shows a sliver of her belly. What is it about that tiny sliver of belly that’s so damned sexy? Though the thought isn’t for Terry. I’m remembering what Kelly wore the night we had Lasagna with Buck and Aspen. Better yet…Kelly naked, her eyes wide, her nipples sticking out…
“Hi, Leif. I see you’ve met Shauna.”
I compose myself and take a look around the tiny apartment. “Yes, she was telling me that five of you live here together.”
“Pretty cramped, right? We all get along really well. And don’t worry. I can leave a sock on the bedroom door.” She lifts her eyebrows.
Oh, God…
Not the sock on the bedroom door thing.
Yeah, this’ll be an early night.
Plus the fact that—as pretty as Terry is, and as nice as she looks tonight—I can’t get the visual of naked Kelly out of my mind.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
“I thought we’d get some dinner.”
Except…I didn’t make any reservations. Damn. But there is one place I know where I can always get in.
“How does pizza sound?”
“I’m a little sensitive to gluten. I’ll have to have gluten-free crust.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Do you have celiac disease?”
She shakes her head. “Oh no. I just try to stay away from it. Wheat belly and all.”
Wheat belly? Is that a term I should know? I decide not to press the issue because I don’t really care.
“Well…I can see if they offer gluten-free crust.”
“I’m sure they do. Most places do these days.”
“Good enough.”
We leave her apartment building and grab a cab, and I give the cabbie the address to my favorite pizza place. It’s in a more rundown area, but I can always get in.
Terry chatters in my ear during the cab ride, asking inane questions about my life, and when we finally get there, I’m glad for the reprieve. Service is quick here at Gianni’s Pizza, and once we get food, I’ll eat and I won’t have to talk.
“Leif!” Gianni’s brother, Mikey, greets me. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“I’ve been in California,” I say, “but I’m back on a job now.”
“And who is this lovely lady?”
“This is Terry. Terry, this is Mikey. He’s the owner’s brother.”
“Your favorite table happens to be available,” Mikey says. “Follow me.”
My favorite table is in the back, out of the commotion. Gianni’s stays busy, but they always have a table available, especially for Buck and me. Most of their business is delivery and takeout.
The table is dark and secluded, with a candle burning in the center. It screams romance, and I’m not looking for that kind of evening.
I pull Mikey aside. “Can you give me a little light tonight?”
“Sure.” He glances at Terry. “You certain about that?”
“Yeah. I’m totally certain.”
“Good enough.”
Mikey slides two menus onto the table, and I—always a gentleman despite what I said to Kelly in anger—hold out the chair for Terry.
I take a seat, and true to Mikey’s word, within a few minutes the lights are brighter over the table.
Terry looks up. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. This is an old building. Wiring issues probably.”