“You’re rambling.”
“Noted.”
We discuss how the next two chapters should go, settling on oral for now, and get to work. We eat pizza and take a break, laughing over the cutest tiny dancers who tried to stay to the beat during the parade but failing and the dads who tried to help them remember the steps. How Hudson’s brother teased him about setting up a karaoke machine in the bar and how his singing would bring in more customers than Hudson’s singing.
But when I decide to go to bed, Natalie opts to finish her scene before she joins me.
I thought I could sleep easy tonight, but it turns out that not knowing when Natalie is coming up here bothers me. Is she going to pretend to fall asleep on the couch? I even consider pretending that I’m asleep when Natalie walks into the room. It could make things easier for us. I’m pretty sure I’m going to do it, but then I realize how the black moment should go, and I have to get my notes down.
My fingers are still busy at work when Natalie finally wanders into the room.
I glance up, and she smiles.
“You should have come down to wake me up.”
I look at the clock on my computer.
“Shit,” I say. It’s after midnight. “I didn't realize how late it was.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t plan to fall asleep.” She gestures to my computer. “What are you working on?”
“Just making notes for the black moment.”
Natalie yawns. “Tell me about it tomorrow.”
“You got it.”
She drags her feet to her bag, digging through it for her pajamas. She grabs what looks like shorts, a shirt, and her bathroom bag.
She disappears into the bathroom, and I let out a breath and shut down my computer.
Shorts and a shirt—okay, I can handle that. I’ve seen her in that outfit a thousand times.
Fuck. Why did it never cross my mind to wonder what she’d slept in till now?
I blow out another breath.
This is Natalie.
Everything is going to be fine … as soon as I get my shit together.
Once my computer bag is zipped, I slide my sweats off and climb into bed in nothing but my boxer briefs.
I flick the lamp off.
Shit, what if she doesn't want me to sleep in my underwear?
I’m reaching for the light to add more clothes when she steps out of the bathroom.
“Now that I’ve had that little catnap, I’m not so sure I'll be able to fall back asleep.”
Her second yawn that follows makes me laugh.
“I think you’ll be fine.”
She tosses her things into her bag and then crawls over me to get in on her side.
Crawls. Over. Me.
