She nodded, a series of staccato motions where she still didn’t let go of his hands, not even changing their position as he wrapped his fingers around hers.“I want to hear everything.”
He said, “This is all about cooking on location and learning if that’s something I want to do.I know restaurants; I know how they work.This…this is…learning outside of my comfort zone.”
Naomi nodded again.“That makes a ton of sense…taking opportunities to learn what you’re interested in.So?What locations are they going to be?”
And then there was no stopping, no other way to pause the conversation.“I’m doing charity work with Katie Feldman, and I’m going to a set, to cook twice for Sam Moskowitz, and then on tour with David Streit and…”
She dropped his hands, startling him and stopping the words and the description from flowing out of his mouth.“I cannot wait to hear as much as you’re willing and able to tell me,” she said, pulling him closer, ending with her head on his chest, her arms around him like she was using him as a cuddle toy.
Jason didn’t deserve her.Not at all.Not in any way.
But he absolutely wasn’t letting her go; that was for sure.Instead of debating how lucky he was that he’d gotten to know her, he put his arms around her, drawing her in, leaning down and somehow fitting his head on her shoulder.“I will,” he promised.“I also need to hear about you.”
“Mmm.”He felt the vibrations of her words as well as heard them.“I need to take the advice and set up my event planning shingle—my logo, my business name, and the rate card.All of that information.And I have to talk to Ida about her authorized vendors and their contracts.”
He lifted his head and pulled her closer.“You’re the most organized person I know,” he said, barely resisting the impulse to kiss her.“I can see your to-do list taking shape.”
“But it’s not just my to-do list,” she said, making him wonder.“If I do it right, it’s my future.”
“You’ll keep me posted?”
He felt her nod.“I will.”
In the silence that followed, he reached out, carefully touching her cheek, and when she met his eyes, he melted.
“Naomi,” he whispered.
The feel of her breath on his face.“Jason…I want…”
He leaned closer, capturing her lips with his own, the tension that had surrounded them since New Year’s Day lessening with each second spent kissing her; he felt her hands move up the side of his face, her palms resting on his jawline.He could stay like this forever…
Dangerous thoughts to have about his confidante, his best friend.
But when she pulled back from the kiss, she almost immediately started kissing him again, as if she’d pulled back to take a breath or something.
He wasn’t complaining.
He wanted more.
*
Naomi made coffeewearing the sweatshirt Jason left the first time he’d spent the night, remembering the conversation she’d had with him as the sun rose, his arms around her.
She remembered the smell of the coffee, the smell of her bodywash on his skin.
“This changes whatever we want it to change between us,” he’d said, brushing her cheek with his lips.
“Emotional honesty over everything,” she’d said, suddenly relieved that she wasn’t losing the one person she could tell most everything.
He’d nodded.“I’ll tell you everything,” he’d told her.That night and the second night he’d stayed.
He’d called three days before he was scheduled to leave—called, not texted—with the flimsy excuse about her being closer to the airport, which would be better for his early morning flight.
“And that’s the only reason you want to stay over?”
Surprising her, he told her the truth.“No.”
On the day he was supposed to leave, he came to her apartment, with food, wine and all of his luggage.As was becoming their pattern, this third night started with conversations over the kinds of questions he’d need to answer at each stage of this trip, and the spreadsheets of preparations he’d pulled together.It ended with another night spent in the safety of his arms.
