‘To injure my pride?’ His tone matches a perfectly arched brow.
‘No! Of course not. I don’t even know you, I wouldn’t presume—’
‘Then you can tell me how sorry you are over that drink.’
Notthatupset, then.‘I told you, I can’t. Coffee or otherwise.’
‘Can’t or won’t?’
‘Does it matter?’ I ask, exasperation and my hands rising before me.
‘Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Significant other?’
‘Girl? What, because I’m not interested, I’m gay?’ My face burns and all I can think iswhat says gay about me today? Surely this isn’t the right response.
‘I didn’t say you weren’t interested. Reluctant, but interested,’ he asserts, barely masking a smile. And one minute he’s teasing, the next he’s as sober as a judge. ‘Are you seeing anyone, Kate?’
‘I don’t see what it has to do with you.’
‘Obstacles, Kate,’ he says suddenly serious.Like an egg and spoon race or the one in the sack? No, the onewiththe sack!‘I like to know where I stand.’
‘Why should I be interested in where you hang? Stand! I mean stand.’ My eyes flick involuntarily to where they shouldn’t before darting away. Interested,so interested.But reluctant? He’s got that right.
‘To the left, if you feel you must know, and slightly—’
‘Is this how you talk to women you barely know?’ Despite the asperity—or arsey—in my tone, I actually feel a bit like giggling. He’s just so persistent, which is pretty flattering. And he’s funny—I like that about him. Almost as much as I like how gorgeous he is. And while I’m enjoying the push and pull of our exchange, I know the end result will be the same.
We’ll both go home. Alone.
‘I think you must be a bad influence.’
‘And I think you must be delusional,’ I reply mildly as I straighten the front of my blouse.
‘And back to being a prick, it seems.’
He exhales audibly, ruffling a hand through his gorgeous hair, not that I noticed at all. As he falls silent, I tip my head to peer at him, fascinated by the conflicting emotions playing and fading across his face: exasperation, annoyance and eventually, a hesitant sort of confusion.
‘What have you got to lose?’
Oh, Kai. Dignity? Pride? My underwear?
His hand rises quite suddenly between us as he runs the tip of one finger against my face. He’s so close that for a mad moment, I think he’s going to kiss me, my breath halting as desire, swift and treacherous, takes my breath away.He’s going to kiss me and I think I’m going to let him.Then his hand lowers, sort of hesitantly, plucking one of the humiliatingly many pencils sticking from the top of my bag. He begins to write on my yellow notepad, one of the few items left on my desk. As pen touches paper, his finger sparkles in the light, sprinkled with glitter.
‘My number,’ he murmurs, placing the folded paper in my hand. ‘Think about it. You owe me for saving you, at least.’
‘Why do I feel you’re not going to leave me alone until I say yes?’ My voice is soft, lacking in strength and conviction as I stare at the folded note.
‘Because you’re a very astute judge of character.’
A smile leaks from his tone as he turns to leave, his words echoing in the empty room. I stare at the paper in my hand, heart sinking south. Folding it once more, I tear it in half and place it in the bin because, I know this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
