yet. I didn’t want to disturb you. I just… I wanted Babs to get this as soon as she woke up. I’m going to be busy later, and something unexpected happened when I ran the errand for her last night. I thought she should know about it.”
Dana’s eyebrows knit. What was he talking about? Didn’t he know babbling was her thing?
“I would have called,” he continued, “but her phone is still…”
Dana nodded. “Do not disturb. Yeah. I’ll talk to her about that.”
His jaw muscles tightened. “This just explains what happened. Not a big deal, but, like I said…”
“You’ll be busy.” Avoiding me, she added silently.
“Yeah.” He held her eyes for a moment, then stepped past her to put the envelope on the kitchen table. He kept the tips of his fingers on it for a few moments as if he wasn’t sure what to do next. Dana used this time to pull her robe closed around her and cross her arms over her stomach.
“I’ll make sure that she gets it,” she said.
Nick looked at her. “Sure. Thanks.”
He just stood there, watching her. It was as though he couldn’t move, which Dana kinda understood, as she kept telling her feet to carry her somewhere else, and yet there she still was. Ignoring her internal pleas, her legs kept her cemented to the spot and staring up into the sweet blue eyes of the biggest mistake she ever made.
***
Nick swallowed and tried to move away, but he couldn’t. She was still so beautiful. Even with her auburn curls sticking up on one side of her head. Even with that old flannel robe tied clumsily around her, stopping at the knee to reveal smooth legs he remembered too well. Even with her oversized gym socks, the right one clinging to her calf, the other scrunched around her left ankle. It shouldn’t have been a beguiling image. He should have been able to walk away, easily. After all, this was the woman who had ruined his life, kinda. Ruined him for other women, anyway. He should have been able to walk away.
But he couldn’t.
Nor was he able to say anything. What could he say? Last night, he’d pretty much proven himself unable to engage in small talk with the “You changed your hair,” comment. He cringed at the thought of it.
“You okay?” she asked, her voice soft and quiet, reminding him of the hundreds of mornings he’d woken up to it, taking for granted that he’d wake up to the sound and smell of her for the rest of his life.
“No,” he answered honestly. He could lie, tell her he was great, but it wouldn’t do any good. Dana had known him since the tenth grade. She’d detect a lie from him before he could even get the words out.
She gave a little nervous giggle. “Well, I’m great. Never been greater. My life is perfect, pretty much.”
“Good,” Nick said stiffly. “Glad to hear it. See you later.”
But he didn’t move. Just stood there, staring at her in that robe, with the messy hair and the… legs.
Oh. God. The. Legs.
He needed to get out of there. Now.
Without a word, he turned and walked toward the elevator.
“Wait,” he heard her say behind him. “Nick.”
He’d almost made it to the elevator when she caught his arm, stopping him. The heat from her fingers zapped him, even through his jacket.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know why I said that. I’m just… seeing you is difficult.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“I mean, not that you’re hard to look at,” she said. She was starting to babble, as she always did when she was nervous. “I mean, definitely easy on the eyes. Especially with the…” She motioned vaguely toward his chest. “I like the leather.”
He raised his eyes to hers, and they locked on to each other. In that moment, a thousand memories came rushing back at him. The prom, graduation, long drives to and from SUNY Potsdam, where they’d both gone to school. Having sex for the first time in his truck at the edge of the vineyard. Proposing to her in a small hotel room in Niagara
Dana’s eyebrows knit. What was he talking about? Didn’t he know babbling was her thing?
“I would have called,” he continued, “but her phone is still…”
Dana nodded. “Do not disturb. Yeah. I’ll talk to her about that.”
His jaw muscles tightened. “This just explains what happened. Not a big deal, but, like I said…”
“You’ll be busy.” Avoiding me, she added silently.
“Yeah.” He held her eyes for a moment, then stepped past her to put the envelope on the kitchen table. He kept the tips of his fingers on it for a few moments as if he wasn’t sure what to do next. Dana used this time to pull her robe closed around her and cross her arms over her stomach.
“I’ll make sure that she gets it,” she said.
Nick looked at her. “Sure. Thanks.”
He just stood there, watching her. It was as though he couldn’t move, which Dana kinda understood, as she kept telling her feet to carry her somewhere else, and yet there she still was. Ignoring her internal pleas, her legs kept her cemented to the spot and staring up into the sweet blue eyes of the biggest mistake she ever made.
***
Nick swallowed and tried to move away, but he couldn’t. She was still so beautiful. Even with her auburn curls sticking up on one side of her head. Even with that old flannel robe tied clumsily around her, stopping at the knee to reveal smooth legs he remembered too well. Even with her oversized gym socks, the right one clinging to her calf, the other scrunched around her left ankle. It shouldn’t have been a beguiling image. He should have been able to walk away, easily. After all, this was the woman who had ruined his life, kinda. Ruined him for other women, anyway. He should have been able to walk away.
But he couldn’t.
Nor was he able to say anything. What could he say? Last night, he’d pretty much proven himself unable to engage in small talk with the “You changed your hair,” comment. He cringed at the thought of it.
“You okay?” she asked, her voice soft and quiet, reminding him of the hundreds of mornings he’d woken up to it, taking for granted that he’d wake up to the sound and smell of her for the rest of his life.
“No,” he answered honestly. He could lie, tell her he was great, but it wouldn’t do any good. Dana had known him since the tenth grade. She’d detect a lie from him before he could even get the words out.
She gave a little nervous giggle. “Well, I’m great. Never been greater. My life is perfect, pretty much.”
“Good,” Nick said stiffly. “Glad to hear it. See you later.”
But he didn’t move. Just stood there, staring at her in that robe, with the messy hair and the… legs.
Oh. God. The. Legs.
He needed to get out of there. Now.
Without a word, he turned and walked toward the elevator.
“Wait,” he heard her say behind him. “Nick.”
He’d almost made it to the elevator when she caught his arm, stopping him. The heat from her fingers zapped him, even through his jacket.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know why I said that. I’m just… seeing you is difficult.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“I mean, not that you’re hard to look at,” she said. She was starting to babble, as she always did when she was nervous. “I mean, definitely easy on the eyes. Especially with the…” She motioned vaguely toward his chest. “I like the leather.”
He raised his eyes to hers, and they locked on to each other. In that moment, a thousand memories came rushing back at him. The prom, graduation, long drives to and from SUNY Potsdam, where they’d both gone to school. Having sex for the first time in his truck at the edge of the vineyard. Proposing to her in a small hotel room in Niagara
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