I imagined she was nodding and wenton.
“So, I’m your social media guy. That’s it. I do a little communications, PR. Now you’ve got a bigger team. Things are moreeven.”
“Well, thank you.” She leaned closer and touched her beer to mine. “ZachHubler.”
My name on her lips did things to me. We sat there for a minute, something other than my words suspended between us as my body and my brain, focused on her warm skin and her warm breath and the smell of her so near—flowers and beer and some unidentifiable woman thing I wanted to suck down to the bottom of mysoul.
“All I’ve done…” I swallowed and let my fingers slide, just the tiniest bit, trying to remember what I was saying. “Is volunteer mytime—”
“Those signs and flyers cost money,too!”
“—and made a small donation to a cause that I deem worthwhile. That’s all.” I wouldn’t tell her about the bigger donation, made through one of my shell companies. I didn’t know why, but I had a feeling she wouldn’t like that. Or she might stop this thing going on if I told her about the money. She’d cite a conflict of interest or some other bullshit and I didn’t want this thing—whatever it was—tostop.
Which was what made me give her arm a final squeeze and let go, shift back, get some space, give my brainwaves room to functionagain.
In the silence that followed, she took a long swig of her drink. “Thankyou.”
“You’re welcome.” I forced a smile onto my face and held out my beer. “Here’s towinning.”
“Here’s towinning.”
Our bottles clinked and I turned to enjoy the last rays of the day’s sun. “Sun’ssetting.”
“You can tell it’sdarker?”
“It’s always bright for me. All the time. But I feel it getting lower. Also, the birds. They change at this time ofday.”
I cocked my head, closed my eyes, relaxed my shoulders, and listened. It took about ten seconds for the world to change. Kids squealed a ways down the road, someone mowed their lawn, engines droned farther away and doors slammed. Closer, a breeze rustled the trees, birds chirped. If you could even call it chirping. There were so many sounds, like separate, individual voices, as different as songs on the radio, and through it all, she sat beside me. Just her presence changed my corner of theworld.
“You listening?” I felt a little breathless at how quiet she’d been. Her attention on me was so perfectly focused. So different from anyone else I’d beenwith.
“Yes.”
“Your eyesclosed?”
“Yeah.”
“I can’t explain this, ’cause I just met you and, honestly, this has never happened before, but…” I swallowed, opened my mouth and shocked myself. “I want to kissyou.”
4
Veronica
All the bloodin my body rushed to my skin. If he could see me, he’d know that I was brightred.
And then because I wanted him to know, I told him. “I’mblushing.”
“Is it a good blush or a bad blush?” he asked and I wanted to…do something, but I didn’t know what. Squeeze him? Jump him? Press my face to his chest andlaugh?
“It’s a good blush,” I finally managed to whisper, just as a strong gust of wind came through. It sounded like rain in the trees and felt like a solid touch. Goosebumps popped up across my body, my nipples hardened, and I couldn’t last another second pass without tasting him. Ignoring every one of my parents’ warnings about strangers and all the things my grandmother taught me about not being too forward, I said, “Do it. Kissme.”
I imagined hesitation. Shyness, maybe. But whatever I’d thought I’d get from him was all wrong. My eyes were closed when he reached out and cradled my head with one big, rough hand. It was a firm touch,confident.
I turned and, before considering what I meant to do, I kissed the inner curve of hispalm.
“This is weird,” he said. “Isn’tit?”
I puffed out a half laugh against his skin. “Yeah.”
