“You don’t even know him,” she protested.
“I know enough from seeing his girlfriend sitting alone outside for the last four hours.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it, and I assumed she didn’t have a response for that.
Opening the door to my apartment, I pushed it open and held it for her to walk through. She walked past me, going inside and sitting on one of the gray couches.
“I’m going to go take a quick shower and then I’ll be back,” I said.
“You’re going to go take a shower? Right now?” she said, a small squeak in her voice.
I worked to not smile at her uncomfortableness. Did the idea of me being naked down the hall from her make her nervous? “My friend and his girlfriend are here. I think they’re asleep, but we’re not alone, if that makes you feel any better.”
She nodded. “That does make me feel better.”
“I’ll make it quick,” I told her. “Feel free to turn on the TV. We also have drinks and food in the fridge if you want anything.”
“Thank you,” she said shyly before I walked out of the room and down the hall.
I hurried through my shower, wanting to wash off the night’s events, and as I wrapped my towel around my waist to walk across the hall to my room, loud music erupted from the living room.
Flinging the bathroom door open, I quickly made my way out to the living room to find Isla frantically trying to push buttons on our remote.
Taking the remote from her, I pushed the power button, quickly putting the room in silence. If Wilder and Olivia had been asleep, they weren’t anymore.
Placing the remote back on the end table next to the couch, I said, “That was the remote for the sound system.”
I turned to her, but her eyes were not looking at my face. They seemed to be roaming the lines and contours of my half-naked body like they were a maze she was working to find the end to.
Looking down at myself, I could see that water droplets still clung to my tanned skin, running down my abs in rivulets. Obviously I hadn’t planned on coming out here with only a towel hung dangerously low around my hips, but I also hadn’t planned on music blasting out of our speakers at one in the morning.
Seconds ticked by, and she was still staring at me with her lips parted.
“Isla?” I said, hoping to break through to her.
She blinked several times. “Uh, um, what?” Her eyes finally connected with mine.
I failed to hide my smile. “That was the wrong remote.”
“Oh!” Her cheeks quickly turned pink. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” She stood and started walking toward the door.
“Wait, where are you going?” I asked, not able to hide the amusement in my voice.
She was obviously flustered and possibly embarrassed by how she had been staring at me, but I hadn’t minded having her attention.
She stopped abruptly and turned back to face me. “I don’t know.”
“Just sit back down. I’ll hurry to get dressed, then I’ll get us a drink.”
She took a breath, her body finally relaxing as she went back and sat down on the couch.
I shook my head and went to get some clothes on. Throwing on a pair of charcoal sweats and a white t-shirt, I went back out to the living room.
Isla sat on the couch with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands, her blonde hair hanging down and blocking my view of her face.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yep,” she said, not lifting her head. “Just dealing with a severe case of embarrassment.”
