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Noelle bounds down the hallway, her backpack hoisted over her shoulder. “I’m gonna be late,” she says, kissing me on the cheek before she stops to look between Adrian and me. “We should play together sometime. I might be able to show you a few tricks.” She smiles and runs out the door.
Adrian shakes his head, laughing as she leaves. My head and my heart are conflicting with each other; I don’t know how to feel about the exchange. I can’t help but look at Adrian and see my confession from last night in his eyes, but he doesn’t look at me with anything other than respect.
Finlay starts the vacuum, the loud noise jarring me from my thoughts. I turn back to Adrian. “I’m sorry,” I confess, thinking about my behavior last night, “for overreacting. It’s just been me and Noelle all these years, and I’ve never…” I start to say.
“You don’t ever have to be sorry,” Adrian says, cutting me off, his soft brown eyes always able to look right into me and see things that I can’t hide. “Not for that, not to me, and not ever.”
I furrow my brows at him. “You’re way too nice to me.”
He shifts his weight. “You frustrate the fuck out of me sometimes, how’s that?” he jests, lightening the moment and causing me to laugh.
Moe turns the music back on, and Adrian pinches his forehead in frustration. “Moe, what did I just say?”
“It’s fine, I moved all my meetings today,” I explain. “Since my office is going to be torn up, I took the day off.” Taking a day off is something I haven’t done in a really long time. Even Miles threatened to come over and check on me.
“Makes me wish I didn’t have to work,” Adrian admits and lifts his eyebrows.
Narrowing my eyes at him, I playfully instruct, “Just finish my fucking flooring.”
He gives me a salute with a sexy smile before turning to Moe. “Turn it up!” he yells and Moe smiles, cranking up the volume and bringing my home back to life.
* * *
Heat Waves by Glass Animals
“When you askedif I wanted enjoy the day in the water, I thought you were talking about a pool party at your apartment complex or the lazy river at a resort, not a fucking river,” I say, staring at the long line of people waiting to get on the bus to take us to the top of the Salt River.
The line consists of bikini-clad girls twenty years younger than me, and boys with coolers modified to hold waterproof portable radios, board shorts, and more six packs than I can handle.
“Rivers have diseases,” I continue to complain as the line starts to move up. “And fish!” The revelation shocks me even if it was my own.
In my mind, I mentally formulate a plan of how to keep my feet from touching the water.
“There are rapids in this river,” I remind him. “You better have a rope or something to tie us together because if we get separated…”
Adrian pulls me into him. “Shut the fuck up, Lake,” he murmurs into my mouth before kissing me.
I pull away, looking shocked. “Did you just tell me to shut the fuck up?”
“Yes, I fucking did,” he says, capturing my mouth again, making my body go limp.
“You’re lucky you’re a good kisser.” I push my palm to his chest and gather his shirt into my fist.
“Get a room!” the kid behind us yells, and I notice the line has started boarding the bus.
“Get a better fucking attitude,” I say while Adrian picks me up, my feet dangling off the hot pavement, and sets me down on the first step of the bus.
“You fucking scare me sometimes,” Adrian says as we find an empty seat, thankful the bus has air conditioning. “I never know if I’m going to have to get into a fight with someone when I’m with you.”
Peering around him, I give that kid behind us a dirty look while assessing him. “You can take him. He’s like, what,” I peer a little closer, “A hundred pounds soaking wet?” I smirk.
Adrian laughs, swinging his arm around my shoulders. “The heat makes you ornery,” he says.“Sometimes you're like a bull in a China shop.”
“Well, I’ve never been known to be subtle,” I say, digging through my beach bag for some lotion.
Handing it to Adrian, I ask, “Will you put some on my back?” while pulling my shirt over my head, revealing the swimsuit I agonized over putting on this morning. In my own backyard I’d wear a bikini because no one’s looking at me, but then the one piece made me look like I was an Olympic swim coach. I settled for a tankini that Noelle had me buy on one of our vacations last year. It’s black because I didn’t know I’d be sweltering in the hot sun all day traveling down the Salt River in a tube.
Adrian’s hands spread lotion over my back while I smooth some over my arms. He massages the lotion into my shoulders, and I begin to relax.
