“Because I’m your patient?”
“No, you’re not.”
“Because I’m your friend?”
“Hmm.”
His heart tipped with uncertainty.“You don’t think we are?”
“Fine.”She yawned.“Sorry.It’s been a big day.”
He hesitated.“Look, I know you’re tired, so if you’d really rather not be here, I understand.”
“You say that now after practically begging me to come so I’ve already gone out of my way?”
Put like that it sounded bad.“I’ll drive you home.”
“Maybe.If you insist.”
Oh, he’d insist.The homeless population at night made that a one hundred percent certainty.
He escorted her inside, caught her wide eyes as she looked at the artwork gracing the lobby.Yeah, it was “A little ostentatious, but the place has good security”.
“I suppose you’re a celebrity who needs it, huh?”
“You’re right.Sucha celebrity.”He rolled his eyes.“But it is close to the arena, so it’s handy for work.”Even if road busyness was sometimes a challenge to get to the practice arena.
He nodded to another owner-occupier, and took Gen to the lift, punched in his floor.
He peeked at her.She did seem tired.Lines etched at her eyes and she was hunched over in her hoodie.She was a little curvier than he remembered, but the years had changed them all.She still looked gorgeous to him.
The elevator dinged, and he swept open his arm.“After you, mademoiselle.”
She side-eyed him but obeyed nonetheless, and he followed her out, wondering about the wisdom of this.Maybe she was too tired to really talk.They’d barely spoken since her arrival.
He brushed past her to open his door, waving her inside.“Thanks for coming.”
She nodded.“You promised food, so I hope you meant it.”
“Of course I did.I say what I mean, remember?”
Her lips curved a quarter way, like she was too tired to smile properly.
But that had always been their way.Honest talk.No filters.No beating around the bush.
Sure enough, her steps led her straight to the glorious view.“Wow.”
“The view is what sold me on the place,” he confessed.
“I bet you can see to Canada.”
“I’ve tried,” he admitted.“I’ve got a telescope you can use if you like.”
He showed her how to adjust things, and enjoyed the reason for their nearness.
She peered but then shook her head.“I’m not sure what I’m seeing but I don’t think it’s a city.”
“I did have it trained on Bainbridge Island, which you can see on a really clear day.”
