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Like Addy’s had done, Clara’s mouth fell open. She pivoted and disappeared into the pub. Delaney wrapped her arms around her middle and squeezed. She hadn’t anticipated this being the hardest part of deciding to stay. When Clara returned with a barstool, Delaney couldn’t help but shake her head.
Clara set the stool down in the middle of the kitchen, hopped onto it, and gestured at Delaney. “Go on.”
“Last Sunday night, I was attacked in my motel room.” She reached up to brush her fingertips over the rough scab of her healing cut. “I got back from my closing shift, and the manager and some other guy, probably a junkie, were waiting for me inside.”
Clara gasped, and Addy stopped forming burger patties to listen, so Delaney continued. “They would have raped me—or worse—given half the chance. When I got away, there was only one place I could really think of to go.”
“And of course James offered for you to stay,” Clara said.
Delaney nodded. “In his spare bedroom.” She glanced over at Addy, who had resumed her work, carefully placing formed burgers onto neatly cut parchment squares. “I should have left the next morning, but nothing else felt…”
“Safe?” Clara offered.
“Yeah. Nothing else felt as safe. I’ve been looking for somewhere else to stay, and I even considered leaving Philly completely. Heading down south where it’s warmer, maybe.”
“You’re leaving?”
Delaney looked over at the hint of disappointment in Addy’s voice. So she might be shocked or disapprove, but Addy didn’t hate her. That was nice to know.
“No. I decided to stay.”
“With James?”
Delaney tried to decide how to answer. She didn’t want to stay anywhere else, but she was going to see if she could figure out how James felt about a roommate before making any concrete plans. It was true that nothing else felt as safe as he did, but there was something more there too. Something she wasn’t sure she was ready to admit to herself, let alone these two women whose friendship she had come to value.
“Do you like him?” Clara wondered.
“Of course. He’s a nice guy, a good boss, very fair.”
“No.” Clara shook her head. “Do youlikehim?”
Delaney felt heat flood her cheeks. “Well, I… I mean…”
Clara chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes. Despite what some people”—Clara shot a pointed look at Addy, who ignored her—“have to say about workplace romances, I think it’s great. Jamesisa nice guy, and he hasn’t really been with anyone since his wife died. You two might be good for each other.”
Delaney chewed on the inside of her cheek. She’d have to digest that bit of information later. “I don’t think it’s that serious. We haven’t slept together, and I don’t even know if he’s interested in going that far.”
“He’s interested,” Addy said matter-of-factly.
“Agreed.” Clara bobbed her head. “He’s always making eyes at you when you’re not looking. If he hasn’t kissed you yet, he’s plain stupid. He has kissed you, though, hasn’t he?” Clara squealed when Delaney nodded. “I knew it! And?”
Delaney blinked. “And what?”
“Oh, come on,” Addy said. “Even I want to know how it was.”
“It was…” How could she even convey that the way James kissed her calmed her nerves and ignited a fire inside her at the same time? “It was unexpectedly incredible.”
“Are you going to bang him?”
“Jesus, Clara. Maybe that part is actually none of your business.”
Clara dismissed Addy with a flip of her hair. “You didn’t seem to think so when you were giving me a play-by-play of your hot night with that couple you picked up in a bar.”
Addy sighed. “That was a hot night.”
“Exactly.” Clara turned back to Delaney. “So. Are you? Going to sleep together?”
Delaney was saved from having to answer by the sound of the exterior door slamming seconds before Mike appeared in the doorway. He looked at all three women, head slightly cocked like he was trying to figure out if they were gossiping about him or something unrelated.
