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He watched me and then his face came closer to mine. “I hate to say this, but part of me likes that you’re forced in a corner. That way you can’t retreat and I can see you really want to.”
It was my turn to watch him. “What happens when I’m out of that corner and I don’t need you to rescue me anymore?”
It was the six million dollar question and I held my breath waiting for the answer.
“One thing at a time,” he said.
Not the right answer.
“No, I really want to know. What happens when I’m not getting shot at and I’m not interesting anymore?”
His eyes changed and he looked at me as if I’d asked him if I could spend the afternoon painting his house in shades of Pepto-Bismol and adorning the front yard with plastic flamingos.
Then he told me, “You think I’m a little scary? I think you’re a little crazy.”
Okay, so it was time to let it all hang out.
“I’m not crazy. I’m anything but crazy. I’m so not crazy that I’m anti-crazy. Eddie, I hate to tell you this, but I’m boring.”
He waited a beat, watching me, and then burst out laughing.
My mouth fell open.
Then his head dropped and he nuzzled my neck.
“Definitely crazy,” he muttered against my neck and then lifted his head and looked at me. “And totally full of shit. You couldn’t be boring if you tried. And if this is your next tactic to try to get me to give up, go for it. It’ll be amusing to watchyoutry to be boring. Almost as amusing as it was to watch you pretend to be normal.”
Well, what could you say to that?
Except, I’mso…very…sure.
He didn’t read my look of supreme unhappiness, or more likely, ignored it. Instead, he touched his lips to mine and he was gone.
Yeesh.
Even the truth didn’t work.
* * *
Mid-morning,Indy swung through the door.
“How’re you doing?” she asked when she got to me, her eyes concerned.
“After work, Eddie and I are going shopping…for acoffeemaker,” I answered, thinking she’d understand my plight.
She blinked. “No, I mean with the guy who’s threatening to rape you.”
I waved my hand and went back to steaming milk.
“Oh that. I’m over that,” I said.
Her mouth dropped open.
She snapped it shut and said, “Last night, with that phone to your ear, you looked like you were going to have a coronary.”
“That was last night. I was taken off guard. Now I feel like throwin’ down, kickin’ butt and takin’ names and…whatever,” I petered out, not having any more macho-speak at the ready. “I’m done with being scared.”
“Right on, Loopy Loo!” Tex encouraged, pulling a portafilter off the espresso machine with brute force, even though he didn’t need to, and slamming the grounds out of it.
