Great, something else my imagination could use against me.
“I’m not entirely sure why you felt the need to share that information with me. I think I liked it better when you were avoiding me.”
“Untrue. You love my company. You can’t fool me, Nightshade.”
“You’re insufferable.” I was smiling anyway.
“I’ll also have you know that I haven’t been avoiding you. I’ve just been…busy.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me. You have a life and villainous activities to perform. I don’t expect all of your attention, all of the time.” There was a moment of awkward silence I wasn’t accustomed to with him. “Anyway, thanks for your call. I should get going. I have a date to get ready for.”
“A date?”
“Maybe. I might spend the whole night ignoring him and reading my book. I haven’t decided yet.”
“One bouquet of flowers and you agree to go out with Dingleberry. I’m disappointed, V.”
“It was two bouquets, actually. Too bad I don’t know who the third one’s from, though. They’re my favourite.” I reached for the blue bouquet and pulled them closer, fingering the petals of one of the dark blue roses. “Whoever sent them clearly knows me very well. Alas, there was no note so I can’t thank them.”
“A secret admirer. My, my. And you’re still choosing to go out with Dingleberry?”
“Well, if they’re a secret how am I supposed to go out with them? Plus, I don’t know what they look like or how well I know them. Maybe they’re a stalker.”
He chuckled. “What was the name of that book you were reading last week? The one your doctor friend recommended?”
“They’re not from you, are they? You’re not stalking me, are you?”
“And if I was?” His tone was playful.
I chuckled. “You’re ridiculous. I really do have to go, though. I’ll talk to you later.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I was pulling the phone away from my ear when I paused.
“Hey, Av. Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“What— Can I ask— What’s your name?”
It’d been nagging at me since I had that dream. I’d called him Aus and ever since I’d…just… I don’t know. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if it was because of the feeling I had at Crossroads last month or if it really was his name. It certainly suited him.
There was a long pause. For a second, I thought he hung up but I pulled the phone away and the call was still active, so I waited.
“One day, just not today.”
I nodded even though I knew he couldn’t see me.
“Goodnight, Avalanche.”
At 6:15I was walking into the steakhouse. (Yeah, I kept him waiting. I was still a petty bitch.) There were a ton of people in the lobby waiting for tables, but he wasn’t one of them. I swear if I put on this banging outfit just to get stood up—again—I was?—
“You look stunning.”
Officer O’Neill was leaning on the wall to my left that separated the lobby from the bar. He was in a black dress shirt and charcoal grey pants. His hair was lightly gelled, just enough to keep it from falling into his face all night. He looked good.
“You don’t look so bad yourself.”
