“Yes. But that doesn’t answer myquestion.”
I toed my muddy, grassy-soled, dog park sneakers under the coffee table—the same one hosting the wine bottle and glasses—and straightened a stack of magazines, which included the latest issue ofGauntlet. “If I say yes, does that make me atraitor?”
He cocked his head, scanning me head to toe. “Towhom?”
The lamps weren’t the only thing warming the space between us. The apartment was stuffy, and having Sebastian there wasn’t helping. He took up the whole entryway, giving me looks that made me sweat. “We’re supposed to be enemies,” I said. “Don’t you feel like you’re betrayingyourself?”
“We were never enemies.” He entered the apartment, closing the door behind him. “You frustrated the hell out of me. Got under my skin in ways I didn’t like. Threatened my life’swork.”
Well. There was no need to rehash every dirty detail. I went to the window and started working on the rusty latches. I rarely locked it because it stuck, but I had that morning knowing Bruno would be out withme.
Sebastian strolled around the living room, his hands in his pockets as he passed my TV. He stopped to look at my Nintendo. “You really do play videogames?”
“Of course.” Well, as of a couple months ago, so I could fit in with the guys. Up until then, I’d only ever played for fun atLuciano’s.
“Huh.” At my bookcase, he glanced at the spines before movingon.
“Here’s another tip for the article you’re not planning to write,” I said. “Books are a window into the soul. You can learn a lot about your date by what shereads.”
“What does it say if she readsGauntlet?”
“That I’m doing myjob.”
“By giving my competitormoney?”
“It was research,” I said. “I don’t have to tell you—know thyenemy.”
He was quiet a few seconds. “What about if she readsUnleashing the BitchWithin?”
My cheeks flushed. How had he evenseenthat from where he was standing? I finally got the latches unhooked and pushed up the window. “That one’s aboutdogs.”
“Liar,” he said. “I read the backcover.”
I scoffed. “It’s in the corner of the bottom shelf. You snoopedearlier.”
“Like you said, books are a window to the soul. I wanted to make sure I got a complete picture before our date. Good thing I find self-improvement sexy.” Sebastian came over and squatted to inspect the window. “All that work to open it a coupleinches?”
“That’s as high as itgoes.”
He positioned his palms under the frame and pushed. It didn’tbudge.
“Told you,” Isaid.
Bruno ambled over on his long legs, sniffing the air around us. Sebastian inhaled deeply before trying again, the frame denting his palms as his face reddened. Bruno wagged his tail, sticking his nose out the window as it rose one inch and then another. By the time Sebastian blew out a breath and dropped his hands, he’d opened it enough for Bruno to get his whole headout.
“Wow,” I said. “I didn’t think it opened thatfar.”
Sebastian sat on the ground, tracing a finger along the white window frame where I’d made notches with dates in colored pencil. “Is this Bruno?” heasked.
“Since I didn’t have him as a puppy, we never really got to do the measurement thing.” I squatted and pointed to the first date. “This was when I got him at three.” I moved my finger a smidge. “Six monthslater.”
A deep chuckle rumbled from Sebastian’s chest as he touched the frame. “Four,” he said, his finger basically on top of mine. “Four-and-a-half. How old ishe?”
“Almost five. I’ll measure again inJanuary.”
“My sister does this with her kids in the laundry room. Do you own thisapartment?”
“No, I rent.You?”
