Blushing, I rub that spot on my forehead. “I have every faith that you’re going to be okay.”
“I will, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get things back on track. After that, it’ll be business as usual.” His tone is light but there’s something disingenuous about it, and if I had to guess, I’d say he’s trying to convince himself he wants to go back to the way things have always been.
“AndI’mgoing to do whatever it takes to make sure things go smoothly,” I tell him.
“I know you will. Despite our difficulties, I trust you, Nora. You’re intelligent, you work hard, and more than that, you care about what you do. That’s a rare combination these days. Harrison and Libby are lucky to have you.”
I shrug, feeling awkward accepting his praise. “Just doing my job.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a remarkable person.”
We gaze at each other longer than we should, then we both seem to realize we shouldn’t be doing that at all. Theo stands and picks up dishes while I hurry to finish my pasta, my mind swirling with confusion.
Hearing him compliment me feels like the heat of a thousand suns on my skin.
Okay, dingus, don’t think like that. Because getting all poetic and gooey will very likely lead to a desperate and possibly pathetic attempt to act on those feelings. And that will most certainly lead to a total disaster.
20
Candlelight Poker and Wishing I Could Poke Her
Theo
We’re just finishingthe dishes when the washing machine buzzes, indicating it’s finished. Nora all but runs to put the clothes in the dryer, and when I offer to do it, she says, “I’ve got it. In fact, I’ll take the clothes out of the dryer too, okay?”
I can tell by her strained voice she’s worried about me seeing something in there, and if I had to guess, I’d say it’s her underwear.
Hm… what kind of panties does she wear? Something really sexy, I bet. Lacy and small. Maybe French cut with a matching bra. Possibly in hot pink. Although now that I think about it, I would have seen anything that bright through her wet clothes earlier. Annnddd…I should not be thinking about any of this.
Stop. Stop now. That way lies madness.
I finish drying the pasta pot and put it away, then fold the dish towel and hang it over the oven door handle. For the first time, I realize there’s no television, which makes sense, since they’re going for that total escape from civilization thing.
I cross to the credenza in the living room and open the doors, hoping to find a board game or a book—anything to take my mind off what I really want to do right now. A deck of cards sits neatly next to a wooden box containing dominoes. I take them both over to the table.
When Nora appears, I say, “Game night?”
A smile crosses her face. “Sure.”
“Do you know how to play dominoes?”
She shakes her head. “Me neither. I was hoping you’d teach me.”
“You have Cuban roots, and you don’t play dominoes?”
“We’re not those kind of Cubans,” I tell her wryly. “Besides, my people left there long ago. How about poker? We don’t have chips, but we can find something to use.”
“Okay, but we need to make it interesting.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Interesting how?”
“Not likethat,” she says, going to the kitchen and randomly opening cupboards.
“I suppose it would be a very short game, as you only have one item to take off.”
“Who saysI’dbe the one stripping?” She stops her search long enough to give me a confident grin.
“I’m pretty sure I’m going to win.”
