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“Well, if you already have a home here in Steel Ridge, why would you need to stay at my place?” she asked.
While I was sure she hadn’t intended for me to take her words the way they came across, I couldn’t stop myself from taking them literally. I could think of quite a few reasons why I’d like to stay at her place.
But since I knew that she hadn’t meant to imply anything like what I had imagined, I reasoned, “I’ve never stayed in a tiny home. It could be a fun experience.”
A sweet looked came over her. “I think they’re incredibly fun. And while it’s still not as popular as I had hoped it would be, everyone who has stayed there seems to love it.”
That was the most Hanna had ever said to me in one shot. Maybe I’d misjudged her. Or perhaps she was just one of those people who was really quiet around people she didn’t know, but once they were familiar, things changed for her.
“I’ve heard they even come back for game night,” I said.
It took Hanna a moment, but she eventually asked, “Did Ellery tell you that?”
I shook my head. “No. Kane did. We were talking at work the other night, and he mentioned that Ellery was having game night with you.”
Understanding washed over her. “Yeah. Well, we’ve gone through most of the games I have, and I refuse to play Scrabble with her since words are how she makes a living, so we ended up not playing any games. Instead, we built a puzzle.”
“That sounds… fun,” I stated.
She rolled her eyes. “You can say what you really mean, Leo.”
Part of me wanted to beg her to say my name again, but since I was so intrigued by what she could have meant, I asked, “Why would you say that?”
“Because I know what you’re probably thinking,” she started. “You think I’m boring.”
“I do not think that.”
“Look, I just like being home. I’m not one for large crowds or outdoorsy kinds of things,” she explained.
I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a small laugh. “I’m kind of the same, so I believe you. I also don’t think that means you’re boring.”
“Next!”
That came from the employee working behind the counter. Hanna turned around, moved in that direction, and we both walked up with the mail she was sending out. “This has all the postage on it, ready to go. I just didn’t want to jam up the mailbox outside with it all,” she explained.
“No problem. I’ll get this taken care of for you then. Is there anything else you need today?” the post office worker asked.
Hanna shook her head. “Nope. That’s all.”
“Have a great day.”
“You, too.”
With that, the two of us turned and moved toward the exit. When we stepped outside, I walked beside Hanna, our feet carrying us back to where we’d both been crouched down to pick up her letters. Neither one of us made any move to speak, and the closer we got to her car, the more pressure I began to feel.
I’d spent some time ever since my conversation with Kane thinking about how I might approach Hanna and get her to consider going on a date with me. Maybe I didn’t need to wait until I’d gotten through my work on this case. Perhaps we were both here right now for a reason.
I didn’t think I should waste the opportunity.
Plus, maybe if I did it now, it would feel less threatening to her and much more casual.
“Where are you headed to now?” I wondered.
At the same time I’d asked my question, Hanna had blurted out one of her own. “Have you had lunch yet?”
The two of us stopped moving and stared at one another. She seemed surprised by what had come out of her mouth, possibly even more surprised by it than I was.
On the off chance that she was about to ask me out for an impromptu lunch, I didn’t hesitate to respond.
