“Fun,” I interrupted.
She cast a curious glance my way.
“That’s my ground rule. I want to have fun. I want you to have fun. If at some point we aren’t having fun, then we’ll go back to just being friends without the benefits.”
She laughed. “Okay.”
“So, what rules did you come up with?” I asked, partly out of curiosity and partly out of my desire to keep her here a little longer.
“The previous rules still apply aside from the one and done rule. I’d reconsider the condom rule if you went to get tested and agree not to have sex with anyone else until we decide this arrangement has run its course.”
That was an easy yes. I didn’t have any desire to be with anyone else, and getting tested was no big deal.
“Done. And done. What else?” I asked, sitting down in the armchair across from her.
“No spending the night together.”
“We live in Manhattan. I don’t expect you to get on a train back to your place late at night.”
She skewered me with a glare. “No spending the night,” she repeated.
“Fine.”
Stubborn woman.
“Maybe you should try to think up some more rules before next time. Boundaries are good.”
“Are you giving me homework?”
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. I just want to make sure you’re getting what you want out of this.”
“If I think of something to add to your list of rules, I’ll let you know, but I assure you that you don’t need to worry about that. You’re giving me everything I could ever want.”
She stared at me, drawing back a little in surprise. Her perfect lips parted like she was about to say something, but I cut her off.
“Text me and let me know when your next day off is,” I said, standing abruptly from the chair, not wanting her to put too much weight to what I’d said.
“Sure.” Her chin dipped down, and she grabbed her purse as I ushered her towards the door.
When she looked back up at me, her eyes were guarded. Like she was back to being just a friend of a friend, and any of the ice I’d melted had frozen over again.
Shit.
I’d made it awkward. And I was acting like an asshole. Rushing her out the door as if I hadn’t been wishing she’d stay with me the rest of the day mere minutes ago.
Why?
So she didn’t get the wrong impression of what this was?
She knew perfectly well what we were doing. She was clearer about the boundaries of this situationship than I’d been. And I’d meant what I’d said. Iwasgetting everything I’d ever wanted from her.
No. I was running like a scared little boy because I saw possibilities with Eve that I’d never seen with anyone else.
“Eve, wait.” I grabbed her arm before she could walk out the door.
She glanced up at me, quickly averting her gaze, finding an imaginary piece of lint on her top more interesting than anything I had to say.
“I’m sorry I just made it weird,” I said, ducking my head to make her look me in the eye. “You’re always welcome to stay and hang out after...”
