He’s dangerously close to me again. So close that if I wanted to, in just a simple move, I could be back in his arms.
“Claire,” he says softly. “You do not need any help in the kissing department.” His eyes turn serious. “Any guy who gets to kiss you is very, very lucky.”
When I swallow, I wonder if he can hear a cartoon sound effect.Gulp.
I’m frozen for a few seconds, and then I find my voice again. “You’re just saying that.” I give him a playful shove, but there’s no trace of amusement behind his eyes.
“I promise I’m not,” he says.
I resist the urge to ask him to go into detail as the air thickens between us, but if we keep talking about it, it’s going to happen again.
It cannot happen again.
I clear my throat, hoping to cut the tension. “Well, thank you.”
He gives me a quick nod and steps back a bit, as if to say, “You’rewelcome,” and I realize broaching this topic with him was a little like stepping on a hornets’ nest.
“Now... we’ll never talk about it again,” I say.
“You got it.”
“We’re good.”
“Totally.”
Thankfully, the moment passes, and things get a bit less electrically charged.
I take a breath, noting my own hesitation at what I’m about to say. “I... um... I have a date. Today.”
It feels weird to say it. Miles and I aren’t dating, so why does it feel like I’m betraying him a little?
“A date?” His demeanor changes slightly and his jaw twitches. “I thought you were on a dating app pause.”
“It’s not through the app,” I say. “It’s Duffy, the dentist that found me through Lorraine’s video.”
“Oh, you’re doing that.”
I shrug. “He seems really nice.”
In the three text exchanges we’ve had, that is.
Miles nods. “Okay.”
“We’re going to the zoo.” As if this is proof that he’s a good guy.
“He’s taking you to the zoo,” he says.
“It was my idea, Mr. Judgy,” I say, feeling personally offended. “I love the zoo.”
He nods again, and I can’t read his expression. “Okay.”
“We’ll get food or something too, probably.” I hear myself saying the words, but I’m having trouble figuring out why I’m saying them.
“Were you asking about kissing because you’re planning on kissing this dentist?” he asks.
I open the refrigerator and pull out a carton of coffee creamer. “No, but... it’s not as scary to imagine as it was before.” I close the fridge. “Thanks to you.”
He looks slighted. “Wow. Glad I could help.”
