“No, not really.What gave me away?”
“Pretty sure you looked borderline orgasmic just now.”Ria’s eyes widened, and a blush exploded across her cheeks.“Not that I know what your orgasm face looks like or anything.I mean, I was—”
“Relax,” Lissa interjected.“Friends can make jokes.It’s all good.I mean, you’ve met Daria, right?”
Ria’s shoulders dropped a bit, some of the tension easing.“Very true.I’ve just never been friends with a gorgeous woman before.”
“It’s cool,” Lissa replied, ignoring the Irish Riverdance happening in her heart after Ria’s compliment.Feigning this attempt at friendship might be harder than she thought.
The large family in front of them finally dissipated, and they approached the bored-looking twentysomething at the ticket counter.
“How many?”the guy droned, not even looking up.
“One please,” Lissa said before Ria could open her mouth.She couldn’t help but notice a little more tension ease from Ria’s body at her request.So she was right—the witch was worried Lissa might try to make this a date.
“Ten bucks,” the kid replied, tapping the credit card machine.
Lissa paid for her ticket, then waited for Ria to do the same, focusing her attention on the massive shark mouth display in the lobby so she wouldn’t stare at the little freckles on Ria’s bare shoulders.Those adorable, oh-so-lickable freckles.
“So what do we see first?”Ria asked, stepping away from the ticket booth.
“I was thinking we could check out the tunnel first.I’m excited to see what it’s like, basically walking underneath a massive aquarium.Plus it’s at the back, so then we can work our way toward the front.”
“I do that too!”Ria exclaimed, her face lighting up.“I always head straight to the back of any museum or zoo.I know everyone starts at the front, so I can skip the worst crowds by doing the reverse.”
Lissa nodded, trying not to grin like a demented hyena because she and Ria shared something so pivotal in common.Pizza toppings, thermostat settings, and sightseeing styles could make or break a couple, in her opinion.
“Totally agree,” Lissa said, successfully managing to keep her tone casual.“And then later, I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?”Ria squeaked.“For me?”
“I mean, it’s nothing too exciting,” Lissa replied, skirting past the gift shop to head for the exterior portion of the aquarium, consoling herself with the knowledge they only had a short space to cross before they reached the indoor tunnel.“Just something I thought you might enjoy.”
Only a hint of redness rolled over Ria’s cheeks before she turned away from Lissa and pushed open the door that would take them past the otters and seals.
Moving at a brisk pace, Lissa guided Ria directly to the tunnel entrance at the back of the aquarium beyond all the outdoor exhibits.
“This is so cool,” Ria gushed as they entered the large plexiglass tube surrounded by fish, sharks, and other undersea creatures.
“Definitely the perfect starting spot,” Lissa agreed, her fingers itching to reach out and intertwine with Ria’s.
They both lingered at the entrance, letting others pass by as they watched a tiger shark drift lazily above their heads.
“So,” Lissa said after a moment, trying to act as casual as possible.“Now that we’re friends, maybe you can tell me a little more about you.You never actually told me why you left Portland.What brought you back?”
Okay, not the smoothest segue, but her nerves were wreaking havoc on her ability to communicate like a regular human being.Life would be so much easier if they were like eels, and she could flash some lights at Ria to get her point across.
“It’s a long story,” Ria replied as she ran her hand along the tunnel wall, smiling when a sting ray followed her fingers.
“Yeah, you mentioned something like that last time.You don’t have to talk about it if you really don’t want to, but I’m happy to listen as a friend if you need to get anything off your chest.”
Ria let out a sad noise and continued down the tunnel.“It was just a perfect storm, you know?My girlfriend broke up with me when I called her out on the cheating, and then I sort of got fired a few days later.My boss was a real jerk about it too.He let me go right before Christmas with no severance or holiday bonus.I couldn’t afford my rent, so I had to move back in with my mom in Seacliff.”
“Wait, you got fired?Why?”Lissa tensed up.Surely Ria didn’t screw something up, and that was what tanked her campaign?
Ria waved a hand.“Oh, the usual reason.I was born with a uterus.”
A sense of relief sweeping through her, Lissa berated herself for even entertaining the thought Ria would have screwed up the studio’s campaign.She was too smart for that.
