"What about the time difference?" Another handful of popcorn disappeared into Lucinda's mouth.
"Tricky at first, but turns out he's a night owl." And stayed up far later than she ever did.
"Hmph. That explains the morning grumps."
Claire laughed. She hadn't connected those dots, but yes, that explained his trouble with mornings.
"Be right back. Gotta pee." Lucinda collected her empty bowl and padded out of the room.
Her phone vibrated again. She smiled and texted Noah back, updating him that they'd made it home safely and were watching TV. The clock on her nightstand caught her eye.
Shouldn't you be in bed already? It's really late there.
Three dots appeared while she waited for his answer.
Nah, it's a holiday tomorrow. I'll be having a lie-in, then checking out Tristan's new saw at his shop. Finally able to start the storage project.
Claire's smile deepened. One of her favorite calls this week had been the video tour of his house—the one she'd missed last week. He'd walked her through his plans for the coat rack in his entryway. The childlike excitement in his voice was so different from the somber, all-business side she witnessed at work.
In return, she'd shown him her place, proudly highlighting her kitchen. He'd raised an eyebrow at the string of fairy lights draped over her headboard. She thought they made the space cozy. He was convinced they were a fire hazard.
"Okay, got that out of the way. Where were we?" Lucinda flopped back onto the bed. "Oh yeah, video calls." She paused, then added more softly, "You feel safe with him."
Claire paused, considering. "Yeah, I guess I do. We got off to a rough start, but… he's consistent."
Lucinda raised an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt.
"I don't mean boring," Claire added quickly. "I mean, his actions are always consistent. He's up front and direct, but not impulsive. He says what he thinks—good or bad—but he gives it thought first. You never have to guess where you stand with him."
Lucinda nodded. "Mm. Unlike the ass-clowns we worked with—I still work with—at NanoTechwise."
"Exactly."
Applause from the TV drew their attention as the host introduced the next guest.
"Okay, here's why we turned this on," Claire said. She clicked the volume up with the remote.
"I've never watched this show."
"It's based in England. I wanted to catch it because Finley McAlister's making a guest appearance promoting his next film."
"The Scottish dude?"
"Yeah. Oh, I didn't tell you this part. He stopped by the office last week and I met him. He's engaged to one of our managers. He's even more dreamy in real life. Kind of quiet, though. I never paid much attention beyond drooling over his abs, but since we have that whole six-degrees-of-separation thing going on, he's way more interesting."
The actor walked out to take a seat, and Lucinda let out a low whistle. "He's hot."
"Shh," Claire admonished, then added, "Yeah, he is."
They watched as the interview unfolded. Finley kept the host on track, steering the conversation toward his film and skillfully dodging questions about his personal life, despite the guy's persistent nudging. They laughed at the witty banter, and Lucinda tossed out the occasional snarky comment, earning a shush or a playful jab from Claire.
When the segment ended and a commercial came on, Lucinda shook her head. "Not only good-looking, but smart, too. He totally outmaneuvered that dude."
Lucinda turned sideways, propped her head on her hand, and asked, "Now that I'm allowed to talk again, what's the next step for you and Mr. Grumpy Pants?"
Claire clicked off the TV and mirrored Lucinda's position. "I don't know. He won't be back in Houston for a couple of weeks. He has valid concerns about dating coworkers, so… I guess I'm playing it by ear." She twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "I really like him, though."
She hesitated, then finally voiced the fear that had been gnawing at her since she left England. "I'm afraid when he comes back, we'll go backward. From the beginning, everything between us—work, friendship, whatever this is—has been this weird dance of one step forward, two steps back."
