“You’re also asking about what I’m taking away, or in this case what I’m reaffirming.”
“That I am,” she said.“What is it?”
He had to think about what he was going to say; the wording had to be precise.“The people I work with are going to need contingency plans of all sorts going in,” he said, both as general and as specific as he was at this early stage.“I can’t and I won’t work with people who won’t prepare themselves.”
“Good,” she said.“Whatever business you do, always plan for things not going as smoothly as you expect.Which is also my trouble.What else?”
“I loved what Molly Concannon said,” he replied, “about following your dreams and learning that things are never what you expect them to be.And—” he grinned at her “—I think part of that story was apologizing to you for the way she reacted to you.”
Naomi smiled.“I caught that part about small towns aren’t what she expected.Which means there’s something else in there, I think, about not judging books by their cover.”
“There absolutely is,” he said with a smile.“Which reaffirms my thoughts about diving in, following my instincts and doing what I feel I want, as opposed to following advice from people who don’t understand.”
She nodded.“Makes perfect sense.”
As he pulled into the parking spot in front of her building, he turned toward her.“Early?”
“For the show hours,” she said.“I’m supposed to call him before we get there, to let him know we’re coming.”
“Sounds good,” he said.“See you tomorrow?”
Which sounded weird to say, but this was a no parking zone and odds were that he wouldn’t find a spot close to her building.
She didn’t answer immediately.“Breakfast?Or do you want to meet at the gallery before the show?”
Her abrupt but detailed answer made him realize how awful he must have sounded, knowing that he’d initiated time apart.The fact remained that he’d been at her place and in her bed since he’d gotten back.He’d spent time with her inside and out of that bed pretty exclusively since he’d been back, the exception being that day when his brother had made his summons.
He needed to make it clear that the reasons he was leaving were a combination of the dire parking situation and the crucial need to inspect and fix the state of his apartment before he brought her to see it, considering he hadn’t seen the inside of it since he’d been back in New York.
And not anything to do with her.
“How about I pick you up for breakfast, and you can drop off a bag at my place?”
Her face glowed, which meant he’d given the right response.Crisis averted.“Your place?”
He nodded.“If I’ve got the right gallery, I don’t live that far.It makes more sense to go there.And if we’re going there tomorrow night, then I should probably get a head start on cleaning the place before I let you in.”
She nodded.“That makes sense.Okay.”And then she got out of the car, walking around the front of the car to the driver’s side window.
He wondered what she was doing.
And all thoughts left his head when she leaned down to the open window.“Do you want me to bring your suitcase down?”
He shook his head.“I’ll come up tomorrow and get both you and it before we head to breakfast.”He could see the thoughts running through her head, and he wondered what they were.
“Okay,” she finally said.“If you insist.I’ll treat it well until you get here.”
“I very much appreciate that,” he replied, feeling her fingers on his cheeks.
“Kiss goodnight?”
“There is nothing I’d want more,” he replied as instantly as she’d asked the question.
And so, he waited, holding his heart back, as she leaned down and brushed her lips against his.A soft, bright touch that made the perfect end of the day they’d spent together.He could still taste the sweet wine she’d had at the gallery on her lips.
“Tomorrow,” he said as he broke the kiss.
She nodded.“Text me?”
