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“I’d say I didn’t hear fromyou, either, but I think I know why.” She ran a hand over her forearm. Even slightly shiny with sweat, her skin was so irresistible. Maybebecauseshe was slicked in sweat. Had she been working out at the park? “I wasn’t in a good place a few weeks ago, and I had no business starting something—anything, a friendship even—with you and then just… walking out on it.”
Friendship.It took every fiber of Archer’s being not to deny that word. It would probably push her away again. Besides, he knew they weren’tmorethan friends. He just knew he wanted them to be. “I’m sorry for coming on too strong,” he said. “I’m sorry for anything I said that disappointed you… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my mother forgetting all about her promise—”
“No, it’s okay,” she said. “I mean it.” She took a deep breath but didn’t say anything more, choosing instead to stare at Archer’s knees.
He felt a bit self-conscious about how thin they looked in his dress pants. “But now you’re in a good place?” he said, remembering what she’d said before “friendship.” He tried to smile again. Hewantedher to be happy, no doubt about that, but a small, jealous part of him—an irrational part, he knew, like a woman’s happiness was solely defined by such a thing—was worried it was partially due to a new boyfriend.
God forbid it wasthatex-boyfriend.
“Yeah.” Her dark red lips went wide as she smiled. “I got a museum job.”
“That’s great!” said Archer, and he meant it. Even if the news hit him as if the floor had been ripped out from underneath him.Stupid. It’s not like you had any hope at this point.He wondered if she came then to make peace, to start her new life without the awkwardness of how they’d parted ways hanging over her. He swallowed. “What city?”
She cocked her head. “Oh!” Her eyes widened in acknowledgement. “Here! I mean, I got a job at the museum here—downtown. The history museum.”
The museum so dinky Mother can hardly bear to support it?He laughed at himself. Likehecared about such things. His mother might like to pretend she was really from Chicago, banished to this shadow in Chicago’s presence only by necessity since his dad’s business was here, but he couldn’t care less about the “prestige” of the museum. Especially since that meant Brielle wasn’t going far.
“What’s so funny?” asked Brielle, but she looked like he hoped he would let her in on the joke.
“Nothing,” he said, quickly. “I’m just… glad you’ll be here. I mean, I guess that makes me horrible—”
“Why does that make you horrible?”
“Because Iwantedyou here.” He ran a hand through his hair, gripping the short strands as if trying to assuage some of his guilt. “I wanted to get to know you better. I wanted to be more than just a one-night stand. I wanted to be… more than friends. But I knew you had plans to leave this place, and I didn’t think it would be appropriate for me to go with you—if I could even figure out how to manage that with my mother and Pauline and everything my parents do for me—so I wanted you to stay. Which makes me horrible.”
Closing the already-cramped distance between them, Brielle laid a hand on his shoulder. “That makes you really sweet.” She leaned in, her lips brushing his ear. “Especially since you weren’tgoingto try to stop me if I did wind up leaving.” She kissed his temple and laughed. “Sorry, I kind of stink right now.”
“You don’t stink.” He reached an arm out and grabbed her from behind, intending to aim for the small of her back but getting her butt instead and not even feeling sorry about it. “You smell great,” he whispered to the space beneath her breasts. “I missed you.”
She leaned into him, resting her soft breasts atop his head. “I’m glad,” she said. “I thought I totally messed things up with you.”
“We barely had anything to mess up yet,” he said. “Besides… If you could forgive me after I treated you likethe helpduring that first meeting, I can forgive you anything.”
The sound of her laughter was like the first warm day of spring. “The help? Okay, rich boy.”
“Sorry,” said Archer into her shirt. He didn’t even care that it was damp. Her wetness was intoxicating. “I wasn’t even rude to you because I actually thought that. I just…”
“Didn’t like being around people?” she offered.
“Didn’t know how to act around someone so gorgeous.” He squeezed again, taking more of her ample buttock into his grip. Firm but gentle, trying to take hold of as much of her as he could without hurting her. Trying to hold on to her before he opened his eyes and discovered it was all a dream.
“I don’t stinkandI’m gorgeous? You’re such a flatterer.”
A loud clonk from the condo above made them both jump and despite what he actually wanted to do with her just then, Archer pulled away. She was staring up at the ceiling. “I should get back,” she said, peering back down at him. “And you should get to your dinner.”
He felt like she’d taken the wind out of him as she pulled away, dancing her long, elegant fingers over his shoulder and grinning as she headed closer to the door.
Then she stood stock-still. She chuckled and shook her head. “But I shouldtell youwhy I even came down here just now.” She pointed above her. “I know you were worried thatyouwere being the creepy one by wanting to keep dating me despite thinking I might move away. But I, uh, moved upstairs without consulting you and… I understand if you don’t want to see me, but I hope we can start over again. I’m… That is, I’ve grown a touch fond of you.”
That was the last thing he’d pictured her revealing just now. Upstairs.Upstairs.He didn’t even care that there was no way he was ever safely climbing up those stairs to see her place, she was going to be mere feet above his head, a thirty-second-post-text away, a part of his life for the foreseeable future.
He grabbed for her hand and squeezed it. “Welcome to the neighborhood, new neighbor,” he said. He lowered his voice. “I think I’m more than a little fond of you, too.”
He was a little late joining his parents at his new car. And he didn’t even notice his tie was crooked and his top few buttons had come undone until he fastened his seatbelt.
Epilogue
Brielle pulledinto the guest parking lot—Naomi took the detached garage space for her car, which was only fair considering it was her place and she had a much nicer vehicle to protect from the elements anyway—right next to where the handicapped spaces ended and felt a warmth in her abdomen at just the sight of Archer’s van.
