“Good. Come with me, then.”
One dark brow lifted. “Come where?”
“For a bike ride.”
“A bike ride?” She stared at him.
“Yeah. Derek said I could use his any time, and I see you have a bike, too. So let’s go get some fresh air.”
“But…”
“Come on, Krissa. It’ll be good for you. You’ve been moping around for days. And I’m going out of my mind. I need to do something. Come with me.” He smiled hopefully. “Remember that time, your last year in college, when I convinced you to go drink beer and play video games all afternoon?”
“When I should have been studying.”
“Yeah.” He grinned.
“And Derek showed up at your apartment later looking for me, all pissed off and grouchy?”
“That too. But remember how you said you felt so relaxed and regenerated? You aced your exam after that.”
She sighed, but smiled. “I guess I could take a break for a little while.” She stood up, dressed in her usual shorts and tank top. “Should I change?”
“You’re fine. Just grab a sweater. It’s really windy out today.”
“Okay.” She saved what she’d been working on, standing at the desk, bent over to use the mouse, which nicely displayed her cute little ass. Nate studied it, liking how the short shorts rode up and exposed the under curve of her butt. He admired the symmetry, the peachy texture of her skin. Nice.
She stood and turned and caught him checking out her ass. Their eyes met and she slowly shook her head as she walked toward him. “What were you looking at?”
No point trying to get out of it. “Your ass. It’s cute.”
She laughed. “Thank you.” She brushed past him to leave her office, disappeared into the bedroom and returned, shoving her arms into a thin blue hoodie.
They rode toward Santa Barbara. “Where are we going?” she called Nate, who was in the lead.
“I don’t know. Wherever we end up.”
This was what he loved—just taking off and going somewhere, without knowing where he was going. Like his life used to be when he was a kid, working at the beach renting bikes. Once he’d gotten a couple of people working for him, he’d take off on his bike with his camera and shoot for hours, wherever he felt like going. A pang of regret that he couldn’t bring a camera and shoot squeezed him, but he pushed it aside. At least he was out in the fresh air, the wind blowing in his face, rushing past his ears. He loved riding fast, but when he glanced behind him and saw he’d left Krissa far behind, he slowed.
“Sorry!” he called to her as she neared. “I got carried away.”
“I can’t keep up with you, Mr. Triathlete.” She panted.
He laughed. “I’m not a triathlete any more.”
“You’re still an athlete. I’d say you’ve recovered from your food poisoning.’”
Except for his eyes. He didn’t say it. Just thought it. Again.
They cycled on, Nate pedaling slower so he could stay close enough to Krissa. When they arrived at the turnoff to the zoo, he pointed. “Let’s go in here.”
She followed him along the road and they parked and locked their bikes outside the entrance. “I haven’t been to the zoo in…God, I can’t remember the last time I came to the zoo.”
“That’s too bad. I like the zoo. Come on.”
They wandered along the path, eating ice cream, standing and watching the giraffes with their impossibly long necks.
“We should bring Cameron’s kids here sometime,” Nate said. “That would give her a break.”
