“Of course,” I tell him. “I’ll grab you some towels.” I go to the hall closet and grab him a couple of towels. He takes them from my hand and brushes his lips over mine.
“I won’t be long, babe,” he says before he disappears into the bathroom.
We’ll talk later, he said when I asked him why he was being so sweet to me. What does that mean? I’m not sure I want to allow myself to hope that Wire might feel more for me than mere friendship. Despite what anyone might think, I know what I feel when I’m around Wire. He makes me smile. He’s not uncomfortable around me, where many people are because they’re not sure what to say to me. Even my friends are tentative when they speak with me, for fear that I might freak out.
Granted, after last night’s episode, maybe my friends have the right to be cautious. I probably overreacted, but I’m sure lots of women would get freaked out by a drunk guy coming up to them in a parking lot and blocking them from getting into their car.
My phone dings, and I see a text from Mina.
Mina: Hey, Rem, are you still up for wine and dip tonight?
Me: Wire’s here!
Mina knows all about Wire and how I feel about him. Wire is nothing like the man I expected to fall in love with. I thought that a nerd who liked art would be in my future. Wire is a nerd, but not in the typical sense. He may love computers, but he’s tall, masculine in every way, and almost looks like a Roman warrior. His longish hair and beard make him look rough and rugged, but his eyes hold a softness. Well, they’re soft when he looks at me.
Wire tells me that he’s the team's computer guru, which, by looking at him, doesn’t seem to fit. But he’s super smart, and when I was having trouble with my laptop, he hit a couple of buttons, and poof, my problem was gone. Wire doesn’t talk much about his work, and I think it’s because he doesn’t want to freak me out. It’s partly my fault, because I haven’t asked. I don’t want him to think I’m prying into his personal affairs.
Mina’s a romantic and is convinced that we belong together. Therefore, her next text is just typical of her.
Mina: Yippee! Has he declared his undying love for you yet?
Me: No, but he saved me last night in the parking lot from a drunk guy who scared me.
Mina: OMG! He was here! Are you okay?
Me: I’m fine. Wire took care of me and stayed the night. He’s in my shower, and his friends are dropping off my car.
Mina: We’ll do wine another night. But call me later. I want to hear your voice to make sure you’re all right.
I replied with a bunch of X’s and O’s, and an emoji heart. Then I proceed to make another tea, because one just isn’t enough. When the doorbell rings, I check the window and recognize Sadie right away. I vaguely recall meeting Rebel, but I only saw him from a distance. He would pick up Sadie when her shift was over, and one night, while she was visiting with me, he showed up. Rebel waved from the door and introduced himself as Sadie’s man and Wire’s friend, but he didn’t come any farther into the room. He knew I was wary of men and kept his distance.
There’s a triple-lock system on the door, installed by Wire, and by the time I have the last lock unlatched, Wire is walking toward me in fresh jeans that fit him perfectly and a long-sleeved Henley that shows off his abs and arm muscles.
Sadie rushes through the door and hugs me tightly.
“It’s so good to see you,” Sadie says. “It’s been too long.”
“Way too long,” I reply.
“Babe, move inside so I can say hello,” Rebel’s voice rumbles.
Sadie lets me go, and Rebel puts a heavy arm around my shoulders while holding not one but two donut boxes with his other hand. “Hey, Remmi, I hear you like donuts. Didn’t know your favorite, so we got an assortment.”
I’m normally skittish when a guy gets too close, except for Wire, but Rebel just seems like a big brother, and it feels good.
“I love them all. Wire made coffee, and I’m making tea,” I tell him.
“Coffee for me,” Rebel requests.
“Me too!” Sadie announces. “I’ll take the boxes, honey, and set them on the table,” she says to Rebel.
“I’ll get plates,” I say.
“Babe, they’re donuts. We don’t need plates,” Wire says in amusement. And before I can respond, he has the boxes open on the counter and reaches in to grab a raspberry-glazed donut, which happens to be one of the best ones.
“Hey! Not fair!” I say with my hands on my hips, trying to seem annoyed, but the bite he took left raspberry jam on the corner of his mouth, and makes me grin.
“Told you before, Remmi, when the donuts arrive, the gloves come off,” he jokes. We all laugh, but then Wire holds out the donut for me to take a bite. “But for you, I’ll share.”
