Page 107 of All the Ugly Things
“What are you doing here?” I brought my coffee cup to my mouth. His truck was in the garage. I’d never run into him in the lobby before.
“Thought I’d walk to work with you today. If that’s okay?”
He could easily offer to drive me. He probably drove every day. But he was meeting me where I was at.
He was a constant source of surprise. The lingering concern I had about not seeing him since Sunday dimmed as he gestured for me to walk with him. Maybe he really was busy.
“You could have stopped by my place and asked.”
“I could have. But I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to hurry if you knew I was waiting.”
“You could have called. Or texted.”
“Ah. But you haven’t offered me your number yet.”
“Oh.” Maybe that explained some of his silence too. I wanted to slap myself in the forehead for forgetting that. “Would you like it?”
“Yes.” He said it so seriously, I glanced at him. “I’ve wanted it. And I could have looked at your application to get it, but I’ve been waiting for you to give it to me. Instead of taking it.”
“Oh. Well, then.” Heat singed my cheeks as I dug into my purse for my phone.
He looked at it like he’d discovered a fossil, and I laughed. “I know. It’s a really old iPhone, but it works. I swear.”
“I’m sure it does.” He stopped before we reached the exit doors to the building. Typed in his number. Sent himself a text. “There. Now you have mine.”
I had a way to contact him whenever I wanted.
Would I ever be brave enough to use it?
“Thank you.”
“Thank you.” He smiled again, that soft sweet smile I saw right before our kiss on Sunday and my body trembled from the look, from the memory of it. Before I could step away, he brushed his lips across my cheek. “Let’s get you to work. I hear your boss can be a total asshole.”
His lips weren’t as warm. But just as full and soft. I tried to hide the tremble that brief kiss solicited. Based on the mirthful look in his eyes, I failed.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes. I get that sense from Brandon. Definitely.”
“Exactly.” He shoved open the doors and I was met with a brutal, chilled wind that whipped my hair across my face and sank through my jacket.
“Damn. It’s freaking cold here. I forget how windy it always is, too.” In the summer the courtyard at the prison was filled with green trees and benches where we could loiter if we earned free time. The winters were another story. The wind whipped through the buildings and flung snow and ice at us from all directions. Not unlike Chicago winds when I was close to the lake. Still, the warm summers always made the winters seem mild until they smacked you in the face again.
“Brutal. I can go get my truck if you don’t want to walk.”
“No.” I had to get used to the cold at some point. It’d be better if I had remembered my gloves. “I want to walk.”
“Okay then.”
He matched his steps to mine as we headed down the streets, both of us keeping our heads down from the wind. All that work I’d done curling my hair and making it look cute wouldn’t make a difference by the time we reached his building. I’d look wind-worn and mussed. Probably have smeared mascara from watering eyes.
Darn it.
We barely spoke as we hustled down the street and less than ten minutes later, we burst into Valor Holdings’ lobby, shaking off the cold.
“Good grief,” I muttered, wiping my hands up and down my arms to warm my bones. My coffee had probably gone cold, too.
“Come on. I’ll get you to Brandon’s. I’m sure he or Sandra will have paperwork ready for you to fill out and Sandra will help you get your ID security card. But if you ever forget it, go check-in at the front desk.” He explained all of this while we moved to the elevators. I stepped back from the rest of the early morning crowd waiting to gather into the cars like herds of cattle. Their whispered morning conversations were an almost overwhelming hum in my ears.
All these people. Every day. Cramming themselves onto an elevator. My fingers tingled with nerves from it, but beneath it was something else… excitement.
