“No, it’s—” But as I said it, I realized it was true. I’d been the one that ran to his room, the one that had asked him to touch me, the one that had wanted to kiss him in the jacuzzi.
“So nothing happened?” I asked again.
“Absolutely nothing.”
I stared at him. He was telling the truth. I knew him so well. I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter now, since, detox.”
“It’s good that you are prioritizing your health, Ash,” he said.
I fanned myself. It was hot in this room and in my body. “I just need a moment that’s not all sexually charged and tense and full of things that are potentially dangerous and life-threatening.” I felt like saying that he felt dangerous and life-threatening. Maybe more so than a snake, even. There was anti-venom for a bite, but I didn’t think there was any anti-venom for Max’s bite. Once he’d sunk his teeth into you, emotionally and physically—my nipple tingled at the thought of his teeth—you were done. Addicted. No cure. No anti-venom.
“You know what we need,” he said, stepping towards me. “Dinner. A non-romantic dinner. Where we just eat food and talk about shit that has nothing to do with sex. A dinner without red lacy underwear, even though it really is very beautiful.” He smiled, but it wasn’t dripping with lust this time.
“Thanks.” I looked down at my underwear and then closed my gown, I hadn’t realized it was still open. “I spent way too much money on it.”
“You probably make bucketloads of money anyway, what with you being the country’s best cinematographer.”
“Hardly,” I said, but felt my cheeks blush.
“That’s not what I read. And I’ve read just about every single article written about you. Quite an impressive list of awards too, I must say.”
“Thank you,” I said again, and then smiled to myself. “I like winning awards.”
He laughed. “I don’t doubt that. I still have some work to do today, so this evening let’s have a casual and totally non-romantic dinner?”
I nodded at him. “Sure.”
“And I’ll just forget about the whole pink-fish thing.”
“Please—that would be great.”
“Done. Already forgotten. See you soon.” He walked up to me and kissed me on the forehead. My heart skipped a beat at the familiarity of it all. A familiarity that was still there after thirteen years.
He pulled away from the kiss quickly. “Sorry, that wasn’t—I wasn’t coming on to you. It just happened.”
“You used to do that all the time.”
“Must be muscle memory or something. Sorry.”
I shook my head. “It’s okay. It was . . . nice.”
He smiled at me before exiting my room and leaving me all alone. I touched my forehead. The kiss had felt sweet and comforting. Just like it had felt all those years ago.
“See you this evening,” he said.
I was back in my usual clothes. Shorts and T-shirt on, cotton briefs and a cotton trainer bra. The kind that was actually meant for teenage girls, but—given I was basically a teenage girl in that area—I wore them too. I walked up onto the deck, not the bottom one, but the very top one, the one that was entirely open to the sky. I found Max sitting on a lounger, looking relaxed and casual as well.
“Feeling more comfortable?” he asked.
“Much.”
He pulled a lounger towards him and patted it. “Come sit here. You need to see this.”
I walked over and climbed on.
“Lower it like mine and look up.”
I did what he said. “Wow! I’ve never seen the moon look so big and close before.”
