“You’re not?”
She shakes her head, wet strands clinging to her cheek. “What happened today... wasn’t entirely your fault.”
“Yes, it was.”
“No, I...” She hesitates. “I could have stopped you. I should have, but...” She looks down again, swallowing hard. “I don’t put myself out there like I used to anymore, and you’re familiar to me… in that way. It makes for a complicated friendship, as you put it.”
I nod. “They do, yeah.”
“But we work well together,” she says. “I see no reason that can’t continue, assuming we maintain a few professional boundaries for the rest of this trip.”
“I agree completely.”
Paige smiles. “Starting with you... getting the fuck out of my room.”
I laugh as I hold my hands up. “Consider it done.”
“Thank you.”
“But then...” I rest my hand on the doorknob. “Would you like to go out with me?”
She furrows her brow.
“Not like that!” I say. “I meant, would you like to leave the hotel with me? The truth is, it’s been a minute since I’ve been to Boston. I’d really enjoy a friendly outing with my friend. If you want. Or I can just go fuck myself tonight. I’m down for that, too.”
Paige bites her lip in thought. “Sure,” she says.
“Sure, I can go fuck myself?” I ask.
“No.” She laughs. “Sure, we can leave the hotel.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I was about to go out anyway,” she says with a shrug. “I have some friends in town that I like to catch up with while I’m here. I guess you can tag along. The neighborhood I’m going to isn’t exactly in the safest part of town, so... it’d be nice to have a friendly escort.”
I pique a brow. “Where are we going?”
“Nowhere until I get dressed, so if you don’t mind?—”
“Getting the fuck out of your room.” I open the door. “Don’t need to tell me twice.”
“I’ll be down in twenty,” she says.
“I’ll meet you in the lobby.” I step out, but poke my head back in. “Should I dress up? Dress down?”
Paige clings quickly to the loose towel. “What you’re wearing is fine,” she says through clenched teeth.
“Right on.”
I ease out of the room, lingering for a few seconds too long, jokingly hopeful for a little side boob.
Or more.
“Oliver,” she scolds.
As I close the door, I catch a glimpse of her smile.
CHAPTER 23