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Mr. Myeoung bowed and Eric acknowledged him with one in return, Hannah doing so as well.
When he’d left, Eric glanced at Hannah with a slight smile. “Let me walk you out to your car?”
She hesitated, but gave a small nod. “I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”
They left the building together, silent but side by side. The sun had set an hour ago, and the smell of saltwater drifted inland from Puget Sound on the fall breeze.
He stopped in front of her car and turned to her. “Was tonight uncomfortable?”
She was quiet for a moment. “This is all a little surprising. I didn’t expect you to be here. I remember vaguely you said you took martial arts. I think you always just said you were going to work out. Or to class. I just never imagined it was Taekwondo—” she grimaced and lifted her gaze to his “—and with my uncle.”
“Yeah. It’s a bit of a trip for me too,” he admitted. “I’ve looked up to Master Myeoung since I was a kid. Turns out I’ve been friends with his niece for years and had no clue.”
“So weird.” She gave a soft laugh. “Anyway, I should go, I guess.”
“Hey, do you want to have a drink?”
“Like, now?” She cocked her head. “I don’t know. I need to shower. It’s getting late. And you have a girlfriend.”
The way her eyes went wide and her cheeks darkened with a flush, he knew she hadn’t meant to say that last bit.
“I don’t.”
“You don’t what? Need to shower? I mean, not to be rude, but we got pretty sweaty in there and I can see the sweat stains on your uniform—”
“Have a girlfriend.”
Her lips parted and her brows drew together. She started to speak, but stopped. She bit her lip and glanced away, seeming to gather her thoughts.
“Are you saying you broke up in the last week?”
“No. I’m saying I never had a girlfriend. I lied when I said I was seeing someone.”
And there it was, all on the line. Pride smashed on the ground beneath his feet.
She glanced back to him and uncertainty clouded her eyes. “Why on earth would you lie about something like that?”
Damn good question. “It just came out at the time. I was—” shit and here I go again “—having feelings for you I probably have no right to have. Saying I was seeing someone was a big fat roadblock to them.”
He heard the slight hitch as her breath caught and saw the widening of her eyes in the glow of the streetlamp.
Never had he felt so exposed. So vulnerable. He waited for her to brush him off. To laugh nervously and then get the hell out of Dodge.
“I see.” She lowered her gaze and nodded. “Maybe we should have that drink. Talk about things.”
Wait, what? What was happening? Was this for real?
“But I really do need that shower.” Her nose wrinkled. “And you do too. Want to come to my apartment in about an hour?”
It all sank in and a thrill hit him that she was telling him to come over.
Don’t read anything into it, buddy. She also told you your smelly ass needs to shower.
“Yeah. I’ll be there and can pick up some wine or something.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I have plenty.” She hesitated. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to you grabbing some cheesecake.”
Cheesecake? Huh. Okay.
