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A corner of his mouth tugged up. “Once, huh?” he asked. “I’m assuming our first meeting changed that.”
It had nothing to do with that day in the office. I’d already formed an opinion about Dean. He confirmed it that morning. I hadn’t been a fan long before that moment. Dean, however, needed to make his own assumptions, and I wasn’t going to deny or admit anything. The more I did, the more curious he would become.
“I grew up,” I said simply.
Dean placed a hand over his heart. “Ouch.”
I managed to smile then. “My tastes in music changed.”
“I’m afraid to ask who your favorite band is now,” he said.
I didn’t have one. Not really. I didn’t tell him that though.
I shrugged.
Dean’s phone rang then, and he stood up and slid it from the pocket of his jeans.
“Hello? Okay. Are you sure you got it all? That’s fine. Go ahead and start the process. It is your top priority. Yeah.”
He then slipped his phone back into his other jeans pocket and lifted his eyes to meet mine. “Maegan got all she needed. Master bedroom is wet, but you probably knew that. You need to pick out a new mattress. We can go now, or if you’d rather, Maegan can take you.”
I shook my head and stood up. “Oh, no, I figured it could air dry. Maybe in the sun on the balcony.”
Dean shook his head. “No. You’re getting a new one.”
I didn’t want to go shop for mattresses with him or Maegan. It wasn’t that I disliked Maegan, but I wasn’t very fond of her. I had no real reason to feel that way. However, I did have reasons to dislike Dean. I might not dislike him as much as I did before but if I understood Kiro’s words earlier then he and Dean had slept with Maegan. Ew.
The line fromHamletsuddenly came to my thoughts.The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
And I winced. I wasn’t that girl anymore. Life had changed me. Motherhood had changed me.
“Any mattress will do. I’m not picky. Trust me,” I told him.
I hadn’t slept on a mattress until I was twenty years old. I’d slept on blankets on the floor, I’d slept on hay, I had even slept on bare concrete floors. I could sleep anywhere if I needed to.
“No preference for firmness or softness?” he asked me.
I shook my head. “I’ve slept in places that make any mattress nice.” I hadn’t meant to say that, but I had blurted it out.
Dean’s eyes narrowed. “Really?” he asked. “Why?”
Nope. We were not going to talk about my past. That was behind me. It was my secret. I had built a new life, and it was all he needed to know.
“Uh, you know, kids, teenagers, they sleep in crazy places,” I said. “Thanks for the soda and a chance to sit down and wait. But if she’s done, I want to get back in there and start drying the floor.”
“It’s already being done. You don’t have to go down there. Contrary to what Kiro said, I do have food in the kitchen. I can make you something to eat.”
No, no, no, no, no. I was not doing this. I was not getting comfortable and friendly with this man. He was smooth and charming when he chose to be, but I’d already figured out that Kiro’s lack of a filter was more accurate to the way Dean’s inner thoughts went. I might not be his type, but I was a female and in his apartment, alone with him. Major warning flag, and I knew it.
“I would feel better if I was there. With my things,” I replied.
Dean nodded his head. “Understood. You can call or text me if you need anything.” He paused, then grinned. “You should have my number now.”
The text from earlier reminded me that he also had my number now. It also reminded me that Clara was supposed to be coming over in an hour.Crap!I had forgotten. I had to call her. I needed to go.
“Yes,” I said, then headed in the direction of the door.
“See you around, Brielle,” he called out just as I opened his door.
