“I’m sure we’ll be seeing you soon,” she says, and the couple are off through the gate, back to their home.
I turn to Nicholas, and he smiles, his lips parting. He has a smudge of dirt right on the end of his nose, and it takes some self control not to reach out and tap it.
Fucked up thing to want to do.
“How about you?” I ask. “Pizza? Beer?”
I notice his tongue move across the blunt edge of his teeth, and I swallow the desire that rises up in me.
“I’m pretty filthy. I have a change of clothes here in the shop, but I shouldn’t go out without a shower.”
I gesture upstairs. “You’re welcome to, uh, if you want to?—”
“Oh,” he says brightly, talking over me. “Right. We could order a pizza in.”
“Shower,” I say, finishing my thought.
Shit. Why am I so awkward? He doesn’t want to use my shower. That’s weird of me to offer.
But Nicholas shrugs. “How about both? I’ll rinse off and we can split a pizza. I’m starving, and there’s nothing prepared back at my place.”
Relieved, I nod. “Cool.”
Nicholas goes to grab his clothes, and I head upstairs.
My face feels warm. My entire body feels warm, actually. Maybe I’m nervous. I have this feeling like I’m not getting away with something, like I know everyone is tricking me but I don’t know how yet.
But there’s also something determined and restless inside me that’s awake. I’m drawn to Nicholas, and considering I’m not sticking around town, I should fit his casual hookup rules, as far as I can tell.
Fuck me. I can’t believe I’m actually thinking about this, but I am.
I hustle around the bathroom, making it halfway clean, until Nicholas knocks on the door. He’s got a backpack with him, hitched casually over his shoulder, and his floral jacket in his hand.
“Wow,” he says. “I haven’t been up here since you moved in.”
“Come in. You probably know where the shower is.”
“Thanks,” he says as he kicks off his shoes. “What do you like on your pizza? I’m a vegetarian. I hope that’s fine.”
“Sure. Still a pizza.”
Nicholas grins, I don’t know why.
“Can you get a veggie supreme around here? Is there a Little Caesars or something nearby?”
He nods confidently. “The best New York-style pizza in town is literally down the block. Here.” He walks over to the kitchen table, totally comfortable in the place. There’s a napkin fromtakeout and a pen there, and he jots down a number. “Call Papa Papa’s Pizza. Get the seasonal veggie, and ask them to make it for me. They’ll be here in no time.”
He hands me the napkin, and my pulse betrays me with a kick.
Soft hands. Damn.
Want him to touch me.
“Are you going to wash off, too?”
I stare at him. Is he inviting me into the shower? That can’t be what he means.
Maybe Nicholas knows what I’m thinking, because he does that thing again where he seems to shiver off some nervous energy and flushes lightly. It makes a zing go through me.
