But, I almost say, notanybody.Because it was you.And that was what mattered.
I don’t, though.
“So,” he says, “do you have to wrestle a load out of that garden hose before you can wind it up, or—”
He’s still laughing when I shove him into the dresser.
The sound of the water changes when Gran finally gets into the shower, but just to be safe, I leave the bedroom first.There’s no disguising theclickof the thumb lock, and there’s no way Gray could miss that either, but he doesn’t say anything.The kitchen is clear.The living room too.
When I turn around, Gray’s already in the hallway.
“I thought I was going to be the lookout,” I say.
He loops his arms around my waist and kisses my neck.
I laugh, but my eyes go to the end of the hall.
“Maybe I’m not going to leave,” Gray says between kisses.He’s working his way down to that spot on my collarbone that’s sore, but in a good way.“Maybe I came out here to drag you back to bed.”
“Good luck with that.”
I guess I could try to get free from him, but instead, I shuffle backward, and Gray comes with me.He’s leaning on me, which means we stumble every time I move, which means I crash into the sofa, and then into the side table, and I knock over that stupid picture of me at the academy, sending it skittering across the tabletop.
He’s having an effect on me too.
When he tries to get his hands down my pants, I grab his wrists.He looks up at me with that look—the one everybody knows he’s capable of.It’s the one that says he’s innocent as a lamb and butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth and all that horseshit, and there must be some misunderstanding about how my hand got to your dick.I can’t help it; I start laughing.
“Get out of here, you maniac,” I say, but I kiss him.
The kiss goes on for a while, and I only know it’s over when I can hear Gran singing in the shower; it sounds like she’s gargling her way through one of those songs fromGypsyI don’t know.
“Thanks,” Gray says.His arms are still around my waist, and they tighten now, drawing me to him.“I was in a bad place last night.”Then the corner of his mouth ticks up, and he’s all trouble again.
“Yeah, well, thank you, too.For, you know.”
“What if I pretend to leave?”he asks.“I’ll go around the block and come back and ring the doorbell and be a total gentleman.I’ll tell your grandma I need you to adjust my back, and that’ll explain any weird noises.”
“Goodbye, Gray,” I say, but I kiss him one last time as I shove him out the door.
He’s laughing as he stumbles down the steps, and then he turns and jogs up the block.
He’s got a great ass.
That’s something else I never let myself think before.
I shut the door, and when I turn around, Gran’s standing in the hall.She’s wearing her kimono, and her hair is wrapped in a towel, and she’s looking right at me.Past me.At the door.
“Hey,” I finally say.“How was your date?”
“Wonderful.What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Why were you opening the door?”
“A kid threw a rock at it.”
Gran pulls her kimono tighter.She looks around the room as though she might have missed something, and her gaze lands on the overturned picture.“I thought I heard something.”
