“Wilson Rogers III is going to be there.”
I can see there’s more she wants to say, but she can’t bring herself to say it.
I have no intention of torturing her over this. “And you think I’m not going to behave myself. That I’m too loud and lowbrow.”
“I wasn’t going to say that.”
“But you’re thinking it,” I reply.
She bites her bottom lip, her face flushed. “Rowdy,” she whispers. “There’s so much riding on this.”
“I have no intention of fucking this up for you or anybody else. I’m gonna be there to support you. You and I just have to establish a rapport so we can play off each other and charm the pants off that troll.”
She smiles. “That’s what I call Wilson Rogers III in my head, too.”
“See? Look at that. We’re already on the same page. Of course, I knew that already based on the other day…”
Riley blushes and puts her hands over her cheeks. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure, have a seat. Want some coffee?”
“It’s after 7.”
“So?” I say, firing up the machine. I feel her presence in the kitchen. I can feel Riley staring at my back. It feels good having her here, in my house.
“I don’t have any caffeine after 7 or I’ll be awake all night.”
“Fair enough. And just for the record, I didn’t break into your apartment. I have a key from the time I did some electrical work for Daphne.”
“That’s not exactly a comfort,” she says, taking a seat at my kitchen table. “But really, all I came to say was I can handle this on my own.”
I start the coffee brewing, take out my favorite mug with the iridescent “Evergreen Tools” logo, and turn around. “How?”
She shrugs. “YouTube tutorials on social skills?”
“Come on,” I say, leaning against the counter and folding my arms over my chest. “Don’t you think you’ve been handling things by your lonesome long enough?”
“And there’s no reason I can’t keep doing everything the way I’ve always done it.”
“But I sure make things more fun, don’t I?”
Riley slowly blinks but doesn’t break eye contact. It’s one of the things I love about her. She can say she’s riddled with anxiety, but she can maintain eye contact better than anyone. I don’t get it.
“Yes. It was so much fun.”
“And I think we could have more fun if we had an actual bed. Oh look,” I say, gesturing at my bedroom door across the hall, “There’s one right over there.”
Riley licks her lips. “I didn’t come here for that.”
“But some part of you did,” I say.
Her eyelids blink rapidly. “Not going to lie and say I would never do it again. Not going to lie and say you don’t turn me on, and the sex wasn’t great.”
“Great?”
“Incredible.”
“It was,” I confirm, feeling satisfied with myself.
