“We’re not doing anything wrong. We’re not even in the same zip code.”
He smiled, causing both dimples to pop out. Then, I remembered I was pissed at him.
“I can’t believe you did that tonight,” I said, resting my one elbow on the edge of the porcelain. “You’re lucky I picked up because I was going to continue ignoring your calls.”
“Like I would let that happen.”
I huffed out a laugh. “You’re really persistent, you know that?” I dipped my fingers beneath the water, dragging them lazily across my skin.
His eyes followed the movement. “So, tell me how bad the guy was.”
I rolled my eyes. “He wasn’t horrible. I’ve had worse dates, but we clearly weren’t a match.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, shifting his weight on the bed. “Was he bald? Have bad breath, or was he just boring?”
I laughed. “He wasn’t bald, and I didn’t get close enough to smell his breath. He spent the entire night talking about his ex-wife, his kids, and his coin collection.”
He whistled. “Sounds like it was a thrilling date.”
I laughed. “I swear, I know more about his son’s IBS issue and his ex-wife’s bunion than I care to admit.”
He snorted. “The guy is an idiot.”
“You think so?”
“I do,” he said without hesitation. “Because if that were me sitting across from you tonight, there isn’t a chance in hell I’d let you go home alone.”
The ease in the way he said those words threw me. I glanced at him, searching for some regret and finding nothing.
“We said we would keep things professional,” I reminded him, even though my words lacked conviction.
“We did, yet here we are.”
I needed to get this conversation back on track and gain some sense of control over the situation. “Why are you still awake? Shouldn’t you be resting up for the game?”
His eyes softened. “I couldn’t sleep until I knew that you made it home okay. Without your date,” he emphasized.
I pressed my lips together, unsure how I was supposed to respond to that. He could be charming one minute and cocky and teasing the next. But it was moments like this, when he was soft and vulnerable, that really got to me.
I dragged my fingers across my knees. “Nate, this is a very bad idea. It feels like we’re doing something inappropriate.”
His smile faded. “Doesn’t feel like that to me.”
I hated how much I wanted to agree with him.
“I’m just worried about my job and how this will look if we start something.”
“Becca, we’re miles apart. We are simply talking. It’s not like I’m sitting in the bathtub with you.”
I shook my head, fighting back a smile. “That’s helpful.”
“Exactly.” He grinned. “Completely harmless.”
“Completely harmless, my ass,” I said, feeling the absurdity of all this catch up to me. “Pretty sure my HR director would faint if she knew about this phone call.”
This would definitely go in the “what not to do” handbook for Journalist Integrity.
His gaze dipped for a minute before moving back to my face. “You have no idea how badly I wish I were there right now.”
