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I chuckle. “Yeah, you do.”
Harper scrubs her fingers over her eyes. “That’s embarrassing.” She unbuckles her seatbelt, picks her bag off the floor, and hooks the strap over her shoulder. Instead of getting out of the car, she turns to face me. “I had a great night tonight. Thank you.”
“I’m glad.” I want to tell her we should do it again. Is that wise? When I need to figure out what’s going on in my head—heart.
“Would you like to come inside for coffee?”
Is this offer like the night before? Coffee as ‘just friends’? Somehow the offer feels different. Do I want it to be more? Fuck yes! But Harper isn’t a woman I can keep having sex with and have no attachments. “It’s getting late. I should head home.”
“Sure…yes…of course.” She opens the door. “Thanks again. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
She gets out of the car. Did I see a glimmer of disappointment in her eyes? Does she want me to come inside? It takes all my willpower to watch her enter the building and not follow her. If I go inside, we’ll end up in bed. I know it. As much as I want her, I need time to sort things out. Being friends is more complicated than I thought.
Chapter Twenty-Four
HARPER
Iwalkintothedark apartment. Alyssa must be asleep already. I know she isn’t working tonight at the club, because she has an early class in the morning and likes to get her eight hours sleep when she can. In my bedroom, I kick off my shoes, strip out of my skirt and blouse, and flop down on my bed.
Tonight was wonderful. The best night I have had in years. Finn couldn’t have picked a better place to take me. Greasy pizza and cold beer while watching ice hockey is my vibe. It felt like my skin was tearing off my body, and the old me was breaking free. The old me who didn’t have to watch what I said and could behave any way I wanted. I miss her. I like her. I like her with Finn. The moment he kissed me on the kiss cam, even though it wasn’t a private moment, felt like home. This is us. Fun. Happiness. Love. All rolled into one.
Heading into the bathroom to shower, I turn the water on and wait until it’s warm. As soon as it reaches the temperature I want, I dash under the spray and quickly wash myself before the hot water runs out. I wanted Finn to come into the apartment. After the way he kissed me, I thought he would. I hoped he wanted me like I wanted him. It looks like he’s sticking to being friends.
I step out of the shower and wrap myself in a towel, brush my teeth, and make my way back to my bedroom. Dressing into my pajamas, I slide under the covers of my bed.
Is there a chance we can be more than friends? You don’t kiss your friend the way Finn kissed me. Or am I holding onto hope?
The next day, I arrive at work. Tamara, with a steaming cup of coffee in her hand, greets me as she passes me in the hallway. “Morning!” she sings and blows into her mug.
“Good morning.” I smile. Her outfit today is a tight, red pencil skirt that reaches her calves and a black, off-the-shoulder top. The glasses perched on top of her head are yellow.
“What are you doing for lunch today? Want to try the new sushi restaurant across the street?” she says before sipping her coffee.
I search down the hallway to Finn’s office. Is he here yet?
“Sure, sounds great,” I say absentmindedly. I look at Bianca’s office. The door is closed. Is Finn inside?
“Finn’s not here,” Tamara says like she can read my mind.
Shaking my head, I say, “I wasn’t… I’m not…” Tamara gives me a knowing smirk. I sigh, and my shoulders slump. “Okay, I was looking for Finn.”
Tamara turns her head from side to side to look around, latches onto my arm, and drags me into her office, closing the door behind us. “Has something happened between the two of you? I’ve noticed these past couple of days he isn’t shooting heat-seeking missiles at you from his eyes.”
My heart warms. I’m so grateful that Finn doesn’t hate me anymore. “I explained things, and he finally listened. He wants to be friends.”
The phone rings on Tamara’s desk. “That’s wonderful. I want to hear more about this. I’ll see you at lunch, yes?”
“Sure.”
She picks up the phone, and I give her a wave goodbye as I leave her office. I make my way to my desk, again searching the area for any signs of Finn. We might be friends, but it doesn’t stop my heart from fluttering whenever I think of him, and that turns into a stampede of elephants whenever I see him. I need to calm down. If what we have isn’t moving beyond friendship, I have to stop feeling this way.
Bianca sails past my office and drops a stack of fabric samples on my desk. “These need to be categorized and taken to the fabric department.”Good morning to you too!She saunters away, pauses, then spins back around. “By the way, Finn will be in meetings most of the day. You are under no circumstances to disturb him.” She pins me with a fierce expression.
“He likes me to make him coffee,” I say.
“I’ll take care of it.” She spins on her heels and heads to the boardroom. That must be where Finn will be when he arrives.
