“I know you don’t. I just wanted an excuse to touch ya.”
My responding smile is embarrassing, and I bite my lip trying to contain it.
“It’s feckin’ cold out here. Can I at least come in for a minute?”
I let out a sigh and nod, backing away so he can open the door. A cramp hits me suddenly, and I stumble for a second on my way to the couch.
“Feckin’ Christ. What’s wrong?” Mike asks, placing a hand on the small of my back as he guides me to the couch.
“It’s nothing,” I say as I close my eyes and flop down, curling on my side as I put the heating pad on my lower abdomen. I probably should be embarrassed by how pathetic I look, but I’m out of fucks to give at this point.
“Ah,” Mike says as if he’s figured out the answer to a riddle I didn’t share with him.
The clatter of my spoon against the empty bowl startles me, and when I open my eyes, I see Mike walking with it into the kitchen as he puts it in the dishwasher.
“What are you doing?” I call out.
He walks toward me, his long legs eating up the distance between us in a few short strides. “I’m helping. I’ve noticed that the cleaner your house is, the calmer your brain is.”
My mouth opens and shuts like it wants to speak, but I’m at a complete loss for what to say. How does he know that?
“What are we watching?” He nods at the TV and sits on the end of the couch near my feet. I secretly wish he would touch me, but he keeps his distance, and I grab the remote, unpausing the show. “Ah,Bluey. I love this episode.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “You watchBluey?”
“A few guys at the firehouse have kids, and they’ve put it on to entertain them during visits. And we may have left it on after their kids left. For hours. It’s quite good. I’m mad about the grannies.” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal.
I don’t know what to say so I lie back on the couch, and we watch several episodes together in silence.
When the show changes toCaillou, I reach for the remote. Fuck that whiny bald-headed kid. But Mike swipes it off the table first.
“What do you really want to watch?”
“I can’t watch the mindless trash I really want to watch without worrying about little ears running in.”
He flips through a few channels before landing on an episode ofCurious George. It’s one I’ve seen dozens of times.
“I’m convinced that Professor Wiseman has something going on with the Man in the Yellow Hat. Why else would they keep sneaking off together and leaving George alone to get in all that trouble? They know that monkey is always up to no good, yet they keep leaving him alone?”
He laughs. “And you think it’s because they’re feckin’ horned up for each other?” It’s not clear if he knows all the characters I’m talking about or if he’s just humoring me, but for once I’m unbothered, just enjoying being in his company.
“Oh, they’re definitely horned up. And don’t get me started on Mayor Humdinger and Mayor Goodway onPaw Patrol. I think they create drama just so they can sneak off together.”
“Do you always fantasize about cartoon characters doing it?”
“When you watch the same three seasons on constant repeat, you have to invent new storylines to hold your interest. And then when you start really paying attention, I swear you’ll notice things, little clues the animators leave in.”
“I think you’re reading too many of your girly books.”
“What do you know about my books?”
“I know you like to read them on your phone when you think no one’s watching. And you think you have a good poker face, but whenever you get to a spicy scene, you’ll look around quickly and then bite your lip as you continue reading. Maybe no one notices the way you squeeze your thighs together when you get turned on by the naughty bits. But I do. I see you.”
Warmth fills me at his words. We’ve been hanging out for about a month, and I’m surprised he’s already figured that out about me.
“Who’s your favorite author?”
I sit up a little on the couch as he scoots closer, pulling my feet into his lap. “I’ve really gotten into this author named Ayana Cox. She writes the best characters. I’ve read everything in her backlist, and I’ve been dying to meet her, but she doesn’t do signings or in-person events. She doesn’t even show her picture online. Her characters feel like real people that I’d actually want to hang out with.”
