AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ah.” The wings of her pageboy swung down to veil her face for a few yards. She turned to him again. “Don’t be tense. I don’t bite.”
Like hell. He was covered with virtual tooth marks.
“What could I do that would make you relax?” she mused.
Oh, give him a fucking break. He stopped, making her lurch and stumble, clutching his arm. “Are you setting me up?” he demanded.
“Um. I actually don’t have any ulterior—”
“Bullshit. You asked for total honesty. What do you think would relax me? Take a wild guess.”
Her bright eyes narrowed. “So, what you’re saying is, you want to just, ah, get right down to it?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” he bitched. “You keep putting a sign on my forehead that says ‘horndog asshole.’ This might shock you, but I genuinely am interested in you as a person. I also have a hard-on. Under normal circumstances, the hard-on wouldn’t matter. I’d take you to dinner, to the movies, strolling in the Rose Garden. I’d cook for you. Make pastry for you. We’d talk about spirituality and politics and food. I’d wait four or five dates before I even tried to kiss you. I’d let the tension build until you were ready to explode.”
“Sounds nice,” she murmured.
“Too bad!” he snapped. “Not going to happen! You’ve been yanking me around by the tail from the minute you opened your mouth! You’re the one who’s tense!”
“I see.” Her hair hid her profile. “I suppose I am.”
“You throw yourself in my path like a fucking grenade, at four in the morning, dressed like that, and mess with my head! I don’t know how to be with you, and I don’t want to fuck this up. So help me out. What do you want from me, Lily? Spell it out. Don’t make me guess.”
She sucked in her lower lip. Trying not to smile, damn her. “Dressed like that?” she echoed. “How should I be dressed?”
She was jerking him around again, but he took the bait willingly enough. “A sweater,” he informed her. “Flannel lined jeans. Wool socks, warm shoes, a hat, scarf, and a thick down parka. As a matter of fact, you should be wearing a warm house with a locked door on top of that.”
She was shivering, so he unlinked his arm from hers and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“I guess I am a little cold,” she murmured.
Well, then. He’d go for it. In the name of gallantry. Or whatever. “Do you want to go inside?” he asked.
“You mean, to your place?”
“No, my place is across town. But my uncle’s apartment is right over the diner. I could make you a cup of tea or something.”
“And your uncle?” she asked. “I don’t want to disturb—”
“My late uncle,” he clarified. “He died last year.”
“I’m sorry to hear it,” she said.
He didn’t want to get anywhere near that, so he squeezed her shoulders. “So?” he urged. “You want to go up?”
She gave him a nod. He waited for more cues. For her to say something biting. For her to change her mind, flip-flop on him.
She didn’t. They walked back the way they’d come, turning into the side street behind the diner. Struck mute by mutual shyness.
He had an unpleasant moment as he led her up the shabby staircase, past scarred apartment doors badly in need of painting. The building was a dump, and Tony’s apartment inside was no exception.
But the deal was struck. He unlocked the door, and preceded her into an apartment as severe as a monk’s cell, but less attractive. Tony had been the ultimate minimalist. A bare overhead bulb. A crucifix on the wall. A color photo of Tony’s parents, aged and scowling. A faded old sepia toned photo of Tony’s grandparents, clad in dusty black, also scowling. A sagging plaid couch, a beat-up coffee table, an antique TV. An ashtray still full of Tony’s cigarette butts. That gave him a pang.
It smelled of dust, emptiness. It was frigidly cold, so he switched on the halogen space heater. The stench of burning dust fluff floated up to tease his nose as it flared eagerly to life. “Sorry,” he said.
She laid her bag down and went to the window. “What for?”
He tried to turn on the lamp next to the couch, but the bulb was burned out. The brutal overhead was the only light. It made his tired eyes water and sting. “That the place is so—”
