I looked at my jeans and Don’t Flatter Yourself, I Was Looking At Your Veins t-shirt. “What’s wrong withthis?”
Todd giggled. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry. I assumed you hadn’t dressed for the dayyet.”
He walked into my closet, leaving me in the bedroom wondering if I should be insulted or not. I decided not to be. Ellie had told me all about Todd, and it seemed to be his way to make sure all his friends looked their best. It meant hecared.
I returned to the living room to fold the couch blanket and grab my work shoes from beside the front door. In the thirty seconds it took me to do that, Todd had a complete ensemble laid out on thebed.
It wasn’t bad, really. Even though it wasn’t my normal ultra-casual style, it was comfy. He gave me jeans to wear, but they were new and artfully distressed. Leather boots, somewhere in the family of a biker boot that pretends to hike occasionally, looked comfortable enough. And a plain-yet-feminine teal long-sleeved top. I shrugged and threw it allon.
Todd turned his back to give me some privacy, though I didn’t mind. Shyness wasn’t in myvocabulary.
The shirt fit snug across my chest but otherwise was soft and a great fit. “Emphasizing my boobs?” I asked. I twirled in the mirror. The jeans accentuated my curvy butt. And the boots made me seem like a badass. “Cool,” I said. “How’d you do that?” It was like he knew exactly which pieces would make me sexy without making me seem like I was trying to impressEllion.
He preened. “It’s a gift.” He grabbed a leather jacket out of the closet. “It’s a little nippy today, you’ll needthis.”
I checked my new cell phone and jumped. “I gottago.”
Todd followed behind me like a mother hen, snagging what I needed. “I got your purse and keys, and I threw in some lip gloss and mascara so you can make your eyes pop before you get out of thecar.”
Out in the hall, he locked my door as I gaped at him. “When did you have time to get my makeup out of my bathroom and put it in my purse all the way in the kitchen?” He was aninja.
He preened again, proud of himself. “It’s agift.”
I roared with laughter as he shooed me toward theelevator.
When we got to his floor, I squashed him into a hug. “Thank you,” I said. “I forgot to be nervous and I feel pretty. You do have agift.”
“My pleasure, doll. Go have fun. Don’t forget, no glove, no love.” With that last bit of advice, he left me laughing in theelevator.
I made it to the airport in time. Ellion walked out of security as I walked up to it. He stopped at the exit and bottlenecked traffic, staring atme.
“You have to move, you’re holding everyone up,” I said, sending Todd good vibes for his outfit choice. The hair and makeup was me, nothing new, though Ellion hadn’t seen me at my bestbefore.
He jumped and scurried toward me. I’d forgotten he could be so nervous. It was an endearing quality, because most of the time he was trying to make sure everyone washappy.
He stopped right in front of me, totally in my personal bubble. I stared into his powder-blue eyes and tried not tocry.
“I didn’t realize until this moment how much I missed you,” I said. I hoped it didn’t put him off. Guys usually didn’t like a clingy or emotional girl. Or one that moved toofast.
Wasting no time, Ellion jerked me into a tight hug. “I missed you, too,” hesaid.
I really did crythen.
He pulled back but didn’t let me go. “Are you okay?” heasked.
I nodded. “What happened in Alaska seems so surreal. I mean, it was four days of absolute chaos.” I took his hand and turned to go to baggage claim. “Is your life always likethat?”
“God, no,” he said. “It’s usually pretty boring, especially up there inAlaska.”
We walked in silence. Every once in a while, I’d squeeze his hand or he’d run his thumb over my fingers tucked intohis.
I leaned into him once I was tired of the silence. “The real question is, how’sShakespeare?”
Ellion wrung his hands, chagrined. “About that… I brought him with me.” He smiled, probably hoping for a positive reaction fromme.
“You did?” I asked,thrilled.
He nodded. “I didn’t know what else to do. Chandler and Griffin will probably be in Grenève with your brothers for several more weeks, and there aren’t any boarding facilities near thehouse.”
