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It’s after four when I get to the clinic. I put on my best smile when I see Bernadette at the receptionist desk. Her eyes light up.
“Oh! Hi!” She takes in the flowers and box of candy in my hand. “Is Poppy expecting you? I didn’t think she had any more clients booked today.”
I’ve had to cancel all my appointments with her, but maybe the receptionist lady doesn’t know yet. “She doesn’t. She isn’t. Is she busy?”
“Her last client left a few minutes ago. I think she’s still in her room.”
“Great, thanks.” I head down the hall. The door’s ajar. I’m about to knock, but it’s open a crack, so I can see inside. Low music is playing, some upbeat dance stuff. Poppy shimmies around the room, humming away. Her hair is pulled up in a ponytail. I want her to wear it like that the next time we have sex.
Which I hope might be tonight. Depending on how this goes.
I slip into the room, closing the door behind me with a quiet click. Poppy jumps and turns, gasping when she sees me.
“Lance.” She brings her hand to her lips, and then it flutters around. “What are you doing here?” Her eyes move to the flowers.
“I uh—” I hold out the flowers and candy. “I wanted to give you these. I forgot them at home yesterday and—yeah, so here.”
“Um. Thanks?” It comes out a question, most likely because I’m acting like a fucking weirdo. I wonder if this is the kind of thing Violet was talking about with Waters when they first started dating.
“Have you been online much today?” I blurt.
“Uh, no. I haven’t had time. Why?”
Of course she hasn’t had time. She’s been working. I have no idea what I should say to her, other than don’t look at any of my feeds for the next couple of days, which is like telling an addict not to take the hit of heroin sitting in front of him.
“Lance? Is something wrong?”
Shit. I’m just standing here, staring. “Some, uh, pictures showed up on social media today.”
Her hand flutters to her throat, her delicate throat that I want to kiss and nuzzle and touch again. “What kind of pictures?”
“Of you and me.”
“Oh my God.” She sets the flowers on the massage table and drops down on the stool. Her fingers go to her lips. “Oh, God.”
She’s way more upset about this than I expected. “They’re from the restaurant. It’s gonna happen if you go out with me again. So, like, if it’s a huge problem we could order in next time, or whatever.” I just want to erase the panicked look on her face. Why didn’t I plan the date better?
Her brow furrows, and she drops her hand. Her lips are turned down, but her frown looks more like a pout. “Wait. So we’re not naked?”
“What?”
“The pictures? We’re fully dressed?”
“Aye. Oh, fuck, you thought I meant naked ones?” I bite my bottom lip to keep from smiling at her sudden relief. It’s not working, though.
Poppy points a finger. “Don’t you dare laugh at me!”
“’At’s a dirty mind ya got there, pretty little Poppy.” It comes out heavily accented, which happens sometimes, like my roots can’t stay buried.
She throws her hands up. “You come barging in here with flowers and candy looking all cagey; what the heck was I supposed to think?”
My grin breaks free as I round the table and crowd her into a corner. “Did ya think I took naked selfies with ya?”
“No. I thought some creeper was watching us when we were in the kitchen, but now I have to wonder.”
“I told ya we were alone.” I move in closer until she’s almost backed into the wall. She’s stopped moving away now. “And I would nae take pictures of ya without yer permission.” I take her hands in mine when she raises them like she’s warding me off. Unfurling them, I press her rigid palms against the sides of my neck.
Her touch is like crack. It’s only been a few hours, and I’m already jonesing hard. “I’m sorry I freaked you out.”
“Liar. You’re still smiling.”
“I’m not lying. I was worried you wouldn’t want to go out with me again.”
“Do I look like a troll or something in the pictures?”
“You look gorgeous, too beautiful to be hanging around with someone like me.”
Poppy scoffs. “If you’re fishing for compliments, it’s not working.”
“I’m not fishing. I’m being honest.”
She makes another little noise of disbelief, but her eyes keep darting to my lips.
“I want to kiss you right now, even though you’re kind of pissed at me. Maybe even because you’re pissed at me.” I lean in and wait to see whether she’s going to tell me off. She’s got a little fire under all that precious. It’s the redhead in her.
“I might bite you.”
