Page 37 of Waste of Worth

Not even telling himself that seemed to help.

He was still driving in her direction.

Dino pulled into a corner store, knowing he was going to need to come with his hands full. An offer of a truce, maybe.

She did like her wine and chocolate.

And you, he told himself. She likes you.

There was that, too.

KNOCKING on the door, Dino took a wide step back to let Karen see him through the peephole. He held his offerings up for her to see—Chinese food, chocolate, and wine. He knew she was home, if only because her car was in the apartment’s underground garage. Besides that, during the time they had spent together, he noticed things about Karen.

She was a homebody.

She didn’t have a lot of friends.

She liked her privacy.

Dino related to all of those things, and maybe that was why, even knowing Karen was going to be pissed off at him when she opened her apartment door, he was still drawn here.

Drawn to her.

His smile grew as he heard footsteps approach the closed door, and then it faded when nothing happened. He didn’t hear the telltale clang of the lock chain being unlocked, or even the slide of the deadbolt.

But he also didn’t hear her footsteps retreat again.

That was a good thing.

Dino took that as she wasn’t sending him away and rejecting him.

Yet.

Glancing at the peephole, he had the distinct feeling Karen was watching him, and probably going back and forth about what she should do.

He didn’t blame her a bit.

“I’m sort of shitty at this whole thing,” Dino said quietly, aware that she could hear him even at a lower tone. Her apartment building didn’t offer very much privacy where noise was concerned. He cringed when he added, “You know, being a decent human being and all. And you were right earlier. I absolutely could have called you or let you know I needed to drop off your radar for a while, and I should have. There’s no excuse for why I didn’t.”

He shifted on his feet, not quite finished.

“But you were wrong about something else, Karen,” he continued, never once looking away from the peephole as he spoke, “I’m not finished with you or whatever it is we’re doing together. That had nothing to do with why I went silent for a while. I’m not done here—with you, I mean. So if you’re not done, then open the door, and let’s have that night I missed a couple of weeks ago.”

The chain clanged as it was pulled and the deadbolt unlatched loudly.

Dino took a slight step back as Karen slowly pulled the door of the apartment open, as the last thing he wanted to seem was imposing.

Leaning against the doorjamb, Karen stood in one of her oversized T-shirts that doubled as a nightie when she slept. She put a hand to her hip, and for a long while, only stared at Dino waiting in the hallway, never saying a thing or even moving to invite him in.

Finally, she did speak.

It felt like a giant battle won to Dino.

“You know, I think that’s the most you’ve ever said to me at one time,” Karen admitted.

There was a hint of sadness in her words.

Dino wasn’t quite sure how to make it go away. “I’m not a big talker.”