* * *
“Someone got laid,” Anne says as she sets a cup of coffee in front of me.
I spin in my chair, shocked. “What? No, I didn’t!”
She drops the smile on her face. Her eyes go wide, and then she smiles again. “Wait, really? I was talking about Patrick. He’s in an extra good mood this morning. But this is way more interesting.” She pulls up a chair. “Tell me everything. It was Husky Eyes, right?”
I roll my eyes. “Nothing happened. We just went out.”
She narrows her eyes. “The look on your face told me everything I need to know.”
The thing about Anne is that she can see right through me, but she doesn’t know that it’s not Jake who has me feeling defensive this morning.
I shrug. “We made out. That’s it.”
“Come on. Tell me the truth,” she prods. “Was it as good as I’m imagining it was?”
I laugh, snorting out my coffee. “Quit imagining me sleeping with him. That’s a little weird.” I grab a napkin to pat away the coffee that spilled on my wool coat.
Anne frowns, watching me. “What’s with the long coat? Don’t tell me we’re getting a blizzard today.”
“This station is over-airconditioned. I’m always freezing in the morning.”
She watches me skeptically, then shrugs it off. “Back to Husky Eyes. I want details, Gnome. I’m living vicariously through you right now. How many times?”
My face turns red. “Stop it, Anne. Someone is going to hear you.”
“Once? Twice? Were you up all night? Did you have shower sex?”
She rubs her hands together, waiting for me to spill the juicy details. Unfortunately, there aren’t any to share. At least not the ones she’s looking for.
I grab a pen off the desk and throw it at her. “I’m going to cancel our next San Diego trip if you don’t cut it out.”
She laughs, dodging the pen. “Okay. Fine. I won’t ask for details. But…”
I sigh, bracing myself. “But what?”
“Do you still think it’s just a onetime thing, or are you going to get serious with him?”
I think about that for a moment. I had wanted to just have fun, but I can’t see it being a onetime thing now.
“You’re thinking about this question a lot harder than I thought you would,” Anne says.
“Yes. I do want to be serious with him.”
“Are you sure moving that fast was a good idea, then? What if he thinks sex is all you want?”
I slap my hand over my face. I haven’t had enough coffee for this. “For the millionth time, Anne, I did not have sex with him.”
Of course Patrick chooses that moment to walk into the room. His face turns red, but he gracefully chooses to pretend he didn’t hear any of what we were talking about. Anne and I exchange a look before she gets out of her chair and leaves. He reminds me that it’s almost time to go on air.
“I’ll be up in time,” I tell him. “I just need to finish one last thing.”
He leaves me alone to get ready. I’m nervous about today’s report. The conversation with Anne was a good distraction, but now that I’m alone, I’m starting to sweat. I can’t believe I’m about to do what I have planned. When there’s only one more minute before I have to be on, I stand up and drop my wool coat onto my chair. Underneath, I’m wearing a green, long-sleeved turtleneck dress. I’m about to break the biggest fashion rule for on-air meteorologists.
I step up in front of my screen and do my report as if nothing is wrong, but I can hear the rumble of voices on the other side of the cameras. I can only imagine how this looks. And I can only hope that Luca is watching.
When I’m finished with my report and the camera turns off, Patrick storms onto the stage and grabs onto the fabric of my turtleneck. “What the hell, Naomi? What were you thinking wearing this color?”
