Her voice caught him off guard. He’d been half-expecting her voicemail again because she’d changed her mind.
“Hey, Wren.” He ran his hand through his hair.Keep it light. “I was just calling to check up on my jeans. You know, making sure they’re adjusting well to their new living situation.”
Wren’s laugh made his heart skip. She didn’t even try to hide it. “Your jeans are doing just fine and so is your t-shirt. I’m feeding them three times a day and taking them for walks. They’ve even made friends with my slippers, which usually growl at strange clothing.”
“Sounds like they’re settling in,” he teased, leaning back against the locker room wall as his shoulders relaxed. “But I gotta say, my scrubs top misses them. It keeps scratching at the door and looking at me with big, sad eyes.”
“Oh dear. I hadn’t meant for that to happen. Poor thing.”
“Actually, there’s a good chance that it missesyoumore than my jeans and t-shirt.” Elias swallowed. “I sure do.” He took a breath, trying to ease into asking her what went wrong without losing the light mood. “Wren… About that message I left you. I meant it. I really do want to see you again. To talk. Get to know each other better.”
“I want that too,” she replied, her tone softer and more serious.
“But first.” He paused, hoping he wasn’t pushing too hard and scaring her off. “I think we need to clear the air aboutSunday. I was ready to spend the rest of the day with you, but you said goodbye like you didn’t want to see me again.”
“What exactly was going on between you and Waylon?” Her question came out of the blue and threw him off completely.
“Waylon? What do you mean?”
“I was getting a weird vibe when you told everyone what I do for a living. The tone of your voice—it was like you were trying to impress Waylon with the whole photographing celebrities thing. And before that, you guys hung back in Gabe’s office. Were you talking about me? Does,” she hesitated. “Does he maybe not approve of me?”
Now Elias understood. He chuckled with relief. “No, baby, that’s not what was going on. Okay, yeah, Waylon and I were talking about you in Gabe’s office. He was curious about what was going on with us. Normally, I would have just taken you straight to your house from Cocks and Strippers. Left without spending the night. Don't get me wrong, I would have left you happy, but I still would have left.” He grinned. “Kind of the way you sneaked out Saturday morning.”
“Is that it? Me leaving—is that the problem you were talking about with him? Or about my habit of stealing your clothes?” She said it lightly, but Elias was tuned in, and he could hear the slight undercurrent of worry.
Now is not the right time to tease. “No, baby, no, I'm messing all of this up.”
Elias dragged his hand through his hair until it stood up on end. “What I’m trying to say is, I told Waylon that you were different. That I’d taken you back to my place instead of going to yours. He was skeptical because he didn’t think I knew you well enough for that. I think what you were picking up on was that I was trying to convince him that I do know you well enough. And that was the moment I realized I didn’t. I don’t know where you grew up, or your favorite color, or any of that.”
“So, he wasn’t trying to talk you out of seeing me?”
“God, no. He actually told me I needed to get to know you. But I wouldn't give a damn if Waylon approved of you or not. All I know is that I think you’re amazing. You’re funny, and sweet, and smart. When I’m with you, the rest of the world just sort of falls away. And from the second I saw you…I felt like I already knew you.” He swallowed past a lump in his throat. “Does that sound crazy?”
She paused long enough that Elias was afraid she’d disconnected.
“It’s not like me to get so caught up in someone, either,” she finally said. “So, it doesn’t sound, or feel, crazy to me at all. Which is why I think it freaked me out a little,” she admitted with a nervous laugh. “Made me feel like something this good couldn’t possibly last. So, I walked away first to keep from getting hurt.”
Elias nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. “I get it. Trust me, I’ve been thinking the same thing. That I wasn’t good enough for you. That I was the one who didn’t measure up.”
“Wow. We’re two of a kind, aren’t we?” She laughed again.
Elias closed his eyes and pressed his head against the wall as he listened to the sweet sound of her laughter. It was a little louder this time, and without any nervousness.
“Yeah, we are.” He opened his eyes and took a deep breath as the tension in his chest eased. “This is a good thing, and I want it to last, too.”
“You’re not just saying that?”
“Wren, I don’t say things I don’t mean. Especially not to someone who has a hostage situation with my clothes.”
She laughed again, and the tension in his chest eased a little more.
“Hostage situation, huh? I told you, I’m taking very good care of your clothes.”
“Right, three meals a day and walks.”
“Exactly.” He listened to her sigh. “Okay, so what do we do next?”
“I’m working the rest of the week. How about you bring my jeans and t-shirt back to their rightful owner on Saturday?” he suggested, his tone light but his heart hammering. “Come over to my place, spend the day hanging out with Penny and Chuck. We can take them for a longer walk. I think they miss you, too. We could have dinner too, if you’d like that. No pressure, just… Us getting to know each other.”
