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I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You can’t keep saying things like that to me.”
“Why not?”
“I’ll . . .” I can’t think of what to say.
“What.” He’s daring me. “Say it.”
“I’ll get too used to you being here.” I wonder how many other girls’ cushions he’s curled up on. “Who was your last Good Samaritan?”
“What do you mean?”
“In the meeting, your dad said that you ran out of couches. You also said Good Samaritans were
usually female.”
He blinks a few times like he’s mentally changing gears. “Not always. I had to bounce off a couple of guys I went to school with until I swallowed my pride and called old Papa Prescott.” He pulls his feet out of my lap. “I don’t like thinking about this.”
He sits up, takes my unguarded clipboard, and lies back to read it.
“Boring as shit,” he declares after a second. “This is what you want? This is your dream guy? Give me the pen. I wanna make some amendments.” His eyes read, back and forth, a scowl I’ve never seen on his face. “Now this is someone who’s never been late for rent in his life.”
“Me, and what I want, is a ridiculous joke?” I slash an imaginary line across my knuckles. “I mean, I know you’ve got TAKE permanently inked on your body, but it really isn’t an attractive quality.”
“Generosity is underlined twice. Your dream man is a model of charity and virtue.”
When I wrote that, I was thinking about how generosity takes many forms. Teddy is lavish with his attention and care. I try to take the clipboard again.
“You should learn how to take.” He holds up a finger to silence whatever retort I’m trying to formulate. “Saint Ruthie of Providence needs to learn how to get selfish.”
“Well, you’re the perfect person to teach me.”
“You could always take the option Renata suggested. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean.” He spirals a finger at the dark doorway at the end of the room. “I’ve been dreaming about snuggling under your patchwork quilt. Please wake me up in time for work.”
“Don’t joke about this.”
“I dare you,” he says and for once, his hypnotizing charm-voice penetrates the shield I hold up around him. “What does it take for your composure to slip? You feel this, I know you do.”
“Is this what you normally do? What you’ve suggested is not very romantic.”
“It’s true, I’ve never been accused of being romantic, but I think I’ll love kissing you. That’s all we’ll do. Just kiss and I get to sleep in your bed tonight. I think that’s pretty romantic.”
Is the entire dating scene like this? Brutal honesty and possible nudity? I think I am so far out of my depth it’s crazy. I tap the clipboard. “I think I’d better stick with this. This is something I can deal with. It’s a process, it’s got bullet points.”
His eyes are unreadable in the half light as he leans down to put on his sneakers. “Gonna ask you a question and I know the answer. But just tell me. Are you ever going to leave Providence?”
Reflexively without thinking, I say, “Of course not.”
“Yeah.” He says that so sadly. “I get it now. I’ll leave you alone.”
Chapter Fifteen
At the swimming pool, I begin the arduous process of unloading the residents from the minibus. I’m struggling up the front path weighed down by purses, gym bags, and, worryingly, two forgotten walking sticks. Teddy is leaning against the front wall in board shorts and a tank top. He’s wearing a visor that has FRESH MEAT printed on it. Undoubtedly a gift from Renata. “Here . . .” He smiles, pushing off the wall. “Let me help.”
“What are you doing here?” I haven’t seen him much over the last couple of days.
“We,” he emphasizes, “are joining in for aqua aerobics. Well, I am anyway. The Parlonis will heckle me. They’re inside.” As he untangles bags from me and I grow lighter, I try not to look at the new tattoos revealed on this fabulous set of arms.
We walk inside and I greet Jordan, one of the assistant managers. “We’ve got twelve today. No, wait, thirteen.” I indicate Teddy. “Plus two spectators.”
