“I don’t?”
“You get uncomfortable when someone says you’re good at something.”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
Paul shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s different. You deflect the compliments completely. Watch. You ready?”
“For what?” I looked up into his eyes again, and there was a flash of something again.
“For a compliment.”
I searched his expression. “You better not be about to say something horrible.”
“See? So here goes. Abigail? I wish you weren’t leaving the country so soon.”
He waited, while my face flushed pink. “Now what?”
“Now you have to accept the compliment.”
“How does that work exactly? They don’t teach us this back home.”
“You say ‘Thank you, Paul.’”
“Ah. Well, fine, okay. Thank you, Paul,” I forced out at last.
“Like pulling teeth,” he said.
“Now your turn, because I bet you’re no better,” I said.
“I’m great with compliments. I’m an actor. I insist upon them or I storm back to my trailer.”
“Paul. You are very nice…” He rolled his eyes. “Don’t look skeptical,” I said. “And you spent a whole day showing me around even though I’m basically a stranger.”
“We have to do that, it’s Canadian law.”
“Let me finish. And I know you think being nice makes you boring, but I think it makes you kind of sexy.”
His eyes widened. I could see his lips part. “Right,” he said slowly. The air felt thick, like it was growing harder to breathe.
“Just say thank you,” I said. “Easy enough, right?”
“Easy.” He took a half step forward, his eyes darting to my lips and then away again. “Thank you, Abigail.”
I took another step forward. This really was a dare. I watched him take another breath, then release it. Another charged moment came, then went, as I watched him visibly shake offwhatever was going through his mind. His polite smile was back in place. It was maddening.
“Well,” he said, his voice a little less steady than usual. “Bell Island has excellent seabirds. So. It should be interesting. Lisette is working on Saturday, so she wanted to do something Sunday. If that works.”
“Sure. I mean, unless something better comes up. Can I confirm at 2 a.m. the night before?”
He flashed a smile. “Anytime. But you should know there’s a boat trip involved. Not as shaky, I promise.”
“I’ll stare at the horizon and breathe slowly.”
He raised a hand like he was going to touch my arm, but I watched as he dropped it. He walked me to the door, head tilted, wearing a faint smile.
“Goodnight, Abigail.”
“Goodnight, Paul.”
