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“Go raid my closet at your leisure, then.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. She disappeared with a pleased nod, softly humming to herself.
Mere minutes later, I settled at the island with a cup of tea and small plate of biscuits—or cookies, as my US friends referred to them. They also branded me an animal for liking to dip them in my hot drinks, but whatever.
As I dunked half of one biscuit into my tea, my phone chimed. I glanced down at the now-lit up screen to see that Ihad a message from Cole. And I completely ignored the little fluttering sensation in my belly.
Chewing the now-soggy half of the biscuit, I lifted my phone and opened up the text message. It read:You got a problem with me picking you up from your building tonight instead of just meeting you at the club?
I blinked down at the screen, so taken aback by the content that I had to read it twice to be sure I hadn’t misinterpreted it. He’d never once made such a request before. Or anything remotely similar.
We arrived at the club separately, and we left it separately. Every time. Without fail. So this, well, I really didn’t know what to make of it.
Having no reason to refuse, I responded:No, no problem.I added my address.
He replied:Good answer, see you in a few hours.
I set down my phone and dipped what was left of my biscuit into my tea, telling myself not to make a big deal out of this development. Because itwasn’tactually a development. It was merely a slight alteration to our usual plan. Changes weren’t necessarily developments.
The sound of high-heels clacking along the floor preceded the arrival of Briar. Breezing into the kitchen, she nibbled on her lip. “Hey, do you have any shoes that … Why are you scowling?”
“I’m not.”
“You totally are.”
Was I? I made an effort to relax my facial muscles.
Wearing her ‘fess up’ expression, Briar folded her arms. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh yeah? Then why were you pulling that face?”
I snatched a biscuit from my plate. “I wasn’t pullinganyface.”
“How you lie.” She sat on the stool opposite mine. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing is wrong. Honestly. I was just … thinking.”
“About what?”
I dunked my biscuit into my drink, almost smiling at how Briar’s upper lip curled in distaste. The woman didn’t know what she was missing. This shit would change her life if she gave it a chance.
“About what?” she repeated.
I ate the soggy half of my biscuit. “Cole texted me. He doesn’t want us to meet at the Vault tonight. Well, I mean, he wants toseeme. But he doesn’t want us to do our usual thing and arrive separately. He wants to pick me up from here and take me there himself.” Oh God, I was babbling. I hated it when I babbled. “He’s never done that before. No, don’t grin. It doesn’t have to mean anything.” I tossed the last half of my biscuit into my mouth without first dunking it. Crap.
“I disagree,” she objected, her eyes lit with excitement. “This is his first step in letting your lives outside the Vault mesh. It’s a baby step for sure. Maybe even half a baby step. But still a step.”
“Not necessarily.”
“Don’t be so cynical.”
“If he wasn’t so focused on his career and he hadn’t been crystal clear that he’s not interested in anything serious, I’d be having the same thoughts as you. But he has repeatedly talked of how little time he has for relationships. Which is why I find itseriouslyannoying that I’m in a mental place where I could see myself ending our arrangement so we could build something real. I know it’s stupid of me to go wanting what I can’t have—”
“You don’t know that you can’t have it. Unless you told him how you feel and he said that he’s not on the same page as you?”
“Of course I haven’t told him. He only wants a simple arrangement—no dates or demands or commitment.” I wasn’t going to be like the women from his past who initially accepted that they wouldn’t be his priority but then later whined about it and demanded more than he could give.
