“I’ll call you a cab,” she says, already reaching for her phone.
I grin and get out of the car.“No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean I’m crashing at your place tonight.”After she frantically steps out of the car, I lock it and start walking toward her building.“My place is across town, and I’m not waiting around for a cab.”
“Absolutely not.”She hurries to catch up with me.“You can sleep on the street.”
“The street?How generous of you.”
“Fine.I’ll lend you a blanket.”
I stop walking and turn to face her.“A blanket.For the street.”
“It’s a very nice blanket,” she says primly.“Egyptian cotton.”
“Egyptian cotton for the sidewalk.You’re all heart, Lopez.”
“I could always rescind the blanket offer.”
“And let me freeze to death?That would look bad on your performance review.”
She crosses her arms.“There’s a hotel three blocks away.”
“At one in the morning?Without a reservation?”I shake my head and continue toward her building.“I’m sleeping on your couch.”
“My couch is occupied.”
“By what?”
“My personal space.”
“Your personal space can share.”I hold the building door open for her.“Unless you want to explain to HR why your colleague died of hypothermia outside your apartment building.”
“I’d tell them you were trespassing,” she sneers.
“After I gave you a ride home?That’s cold, even for you.”I put my arm around her shoulders.“You’ve forgotten one teeny tiny detail, Lopez.”
She gives me a wary look.“What?”
“I generously agreed to help you get rid of your stalker ex by dating you.”
“Fake dating, Wilder.Fake.As in, not real.”
I grin at her.“True.But all that time I have to spend with you, my own love life will be neglected.So you can do the decent thing and let me sleep inside your apartment.Seeing as we’re together and all.”
She shudders at the last part, and my smile just widens.“I take it that’s a yes.”
She gives me a displeased look.“I really don’t like this fake dating nonsense.It sounds like something that would blow up in my face.”
“That’s what I like about you, Eve.You’re so optimistic.Now, come on.I’m freezing my ass off.I left my jacket in the car.”
Her apartment building is a third-floor walk-up in a decent neighborhood.By the time we reach her door, we’re both dragging.She fumbles with her keys, cursing under her breath.
“Here.”I take the keys from her and unlock the door in one smooth motion.
“Show-off,” she mutters, walking inside and flipping on the light switch.“Couch is there.”She waves vaguely toward the living room.“I’ll get you a blanket.”But when she comes back with a pillow and blanket, she’s swaying on her feet.
