Rachel’s computer chimed, and she glanced at the screen. “Give me a second,” she said as she typed something out. “The Australians are being needy.” Quickly, she finished typing a message. Then she closed the computer and set it aside.
She was feeling all tingly with him, and he was being all weird, and Bob and Evelyn were being extra-invasive.
She and Travis needed to communicate the hell out of this situation. That way they could move on and she could get back to work.
“I think we should talk about what happened at the lake today,” she said, folding her legs up underneath herself. The sober way she’d said that made it seem like the near kiss hadn’t even phased her, when in fact, it had. But good for her, for being able to sound so laissez-faire.
“I…” he started to say.
“Because if we talk about it, it won’t be a big deal. I’ve always found it’s the things we don’t talk about that become issues.”
“That’s very deep,” Travis said, focusing on Pete,who was now sniffing around the edge of the rug.
Rachel trailed her gaze to the puppy. He usually came to nudge her first before he relieved himself.
“If you want to sit next to me, I won’t tell your parents.” She patted the sofa. “I also won’t deflower you on the sofa,” she continued, because for some reason it seemed like the right thing to say. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to stuff them right back in.
Thankfully, Travis grinned,and his voice went deep as he said, “I hate to break it to you, Rach, but I’ve been deflowered for a while.”
“Good, because that’s always such athing,” she said, rolling her eyes dramatically.
They’d participated in nearly an entire conversation,and neither of them had gotten defensive.This was…new.
He chuckled, deep and low,and her insides warmed at the sound. She didn’t feel like she was wearing puke-flannel right then. The way he was looking at her with that glint in his eyes made the fabric—and her insides—feel like satin.
What were those reasons she shouldn’t get in deep with him again? There were two and she couldn’t quite remember what they were.
She shifted to make more room for him beside her, hoping that he would sit.
If he sat with her, maybe they’d even touch a little. No big thing, she could brush her hand against him and see if there were more sparks—like at the lake.
It’d be an experiment to determine if there were some kind of enduring chemistry going on. And, since it was just going to be a little observational touch, if the sizzle dissipated,then she could pass it off as platonic. She’d accidentally touched Dave lots of times, and it wasn’t awkward.
“I think we should try being friends,” Rachel announced, a little too loud. She softened her tone, saying, “We’ve never had the chance to be friends.”
“Rach…” He sat next to her on the sofa. Not close, though. There was a respectable distance between them she was pretty sure his mother would approve of. “I…I don’t really want to be your friend.”
Her warm, satin insides turned to cold polyester. Oh, well that stunk. “Then what do you want?”
The words came out strong, thank goodness, because inside,the empty ache of rejection sat heavy in her stomach.
He shook his head. “What I want,I shouldn’t have.”
Didn’t they all?
There was hardly any room behind her, but she scooched back anyway, until her back hit the arm of the sofa. If she went any farther,she’d fall on her ass and then that really would be embarrassing.
“If I’m making you uncomfortable,” she said, “we can be sure we’re not in the same place while I’m here.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Rach—”
“Do you want to set up a schedule so we don’t have to see each other?” she asked, hoping that the light tone was back,and he wouldn’t see how this was kind of wrecking her. The lump in her throat was not a good one. She could use a minute alone, to take some deep breaths and prevent her eyes from getting watery.
Which was silly, because she wasn’t really sure what upset her.
“No,” Travis said. “I don’t want to make a don’t-see-Rach schedule.”
“Then why did you come in here?” she asked. “Tonight, why’d you knock on the door?”
