River held his hand over his face for just a minute, shy, then laughed again.
Damn, I don’t know why I thought this was going to get any easier. It seemed like the more time I spent with River, the more he pulled me into his world.
He continued. “Well, I just wanted you to know I don’t regret anything. I had a very fun experiment with hooking up, and now I’m excited to have you as my friend and my boss. And I promise I won’t fall in love with you or do any of the typical River things, in case you were worried.”
I offered him my biggest smile, but in my head, a hundred voices yelled out in protest, demanding that he should fall in love with me, as a matter of fact.
“Thanks, River. I feel the exact same way,” I replied, knowing that if I said the truth, our little secret would turn into a total disaster.
He nodded to the TV. “Want to play a game?”
“Sure,” I said. “Thanks for asking.”
Chapter Fourteen
River
Once I satdown with Leo and confirmed that everything was chill, I was able to relax again. I didn’t feel great about breaking Kai’s trust, but I meant what I told Leo. I had an extremely memorable experiment in hooking up, and even if I could have taken it back, I’m not sure that I would.
I meant most of what I told Leo, at least. As I figured him out more, I realized he actually would be a pretty wonderful boyfriend. It was surprisingly easy to imagine holding his hand while we walked down the street or making something special for desert when I knew he’d had a long day at the office.
So even though I meant it when I said I wasn’t going to do any of my typical River things, a tiny part of me still wanted to fall for him.
Especially since it felt so, so good to flirt. Leo practically begged me to tease him, considering some of the stuff that slipped through his lips, and the reward of getting him flustered and worked up was too tempting to resist.
My phone yanked me from my thoughts. Marie was finally calling me back.
“Hello?” I was lying on my bed, and I shot straight up. I was desperate to talk to her. The last decade of my life felt far away, and even though things were going well in Pittsburgh, I still missed London.
“Darling River. How’s your new home?”
“Better now that you’ve called back.”
“You know I have to torment you with my silence for a while first. I thought for sure you’d come back to England after the Stefano affair.”
Not only had Marie had the unique experience of dating me, she was also ten years older and quite a bit wiser, although I was occasionally reluctant to admit it.
“Sorry,” I sighed. “The jobs, and the money, and all the rest of it...” I trailed off.
“Yes, I understand. And I’m sorry I didn’t know of any job openings last minute. I wish I could have flipped the magic switch and have you back again.” I heard the sounds of our old street in the background. “Are you finding everything you’re looking for, sweetheart?”
I fell back down on the bed. “More or less. How’s the magazine?”
“Fabulous. You’ll have to keep up. The new issues should be easy to find in New York. Unless you’re too wrapped up in a new relationship already?”
I turned my eyes toward the door. Leo and Kai were both at the office, but I still lowered my voice. “Not exactly. I had a hookup with Kai’s best friend. He’s like, my boss and roommate.”
“A hookup? I thought you didn’t do that kind of thing.”
“I don’t. I did.” I sighed. “I don’t know. It was pretty hot.”
“I’m sure, although I’m surprised to hear you say it. Hot bosses were never really your type. And you aren’t falling madly truly deeply for him?”
“No. This feels nothing like when I fall in love. Leo feels like friendship plus lust or something. You know, love for me has always happened at first sight. Leo’s just like… there.”
“If you say so,” Marie laughed. “You had to grow on me, don’t you remember? And we certainly love each other.”
I did remember and laughed as I thought back to that summer. “Thank god you let me stick around long enough. But I knew right away.”
