“I'm sure you could once, but people change sometimes. I'm guessing I was right about it being him then?”
He nods with sadness weighing heavy in his eyes. “Yeah, and the bad thing is, I wasn't even surprised anymore. He refused to leave the house, so I left instead, and now I'm officially homeless.”
“Seriously?” It's all I say as I shuffle in my seat, wanting to invite him back to my place but worried I'd scare him away the minute he pulls up in front of it. I'm not sure I'm ready to fully invite him into my world. My stomach becomes a bundle of knots at the thought of him rejecting me after he realizes I'm not really what he wants.
“Yeah, but it's okay.” Jamie runs his hand up and down the inside of my thigh. “My brother said I could crash with him, and that house was too full of memories anyway.” He wraps his fingers around my chin, pulling my face near his. “I’d much rather make new ones somewhere else, and maybe we can start at your place for the night.”
The mental image of him in my bed, naked under my sheets, is all the convincing I need. “I think that can be arranged.”
“How soon?”
I stare at the time on the clock on the wall behind the bar. “Not soon enough.”
“I'm sure you're worth the wait.”
“Good things always are,” I say with a wide smile.
25
Jamie
My stomach wakes me,making gurgling sounds as it aches with hunger. I quickly open my eyes after remembering I didn't come home alone last night. Reaching behind me, I grab nothing but a handful of cold sheets instead of the warm body I was hoping was still resting beside me. That has me sitting up faster, searching the studio apartment with eyes wide in panic.
We had both walked through my door exhausted last night, heading straight for bed after devouring the burgers we picked up on the way here, falling asleep in one another's arms. His expression hadn’t changed when we pulled up in front of my complex and it remained steady when we walked through the door. His eyes wandered around my place, but there was never a hint of judgment in his eyes, only pure curiosity.
I drag the sheet with me over to the bathroom, letting it fall to the floor when I reach the sink. Brushing my teeth and washing my face doesn't make me feel any better like I hoped. I have to go to class today, and all I want to do is crawl back in bed and go back to sleep.
The front door creaking open makes me pull a towel off the rack quicker and I tightly wrap it around myself. I guess when Jamie left this morning, he didn't lock the door behind him, or maybe Luca finally found the spare key I gave him a long time ago.
I picture Jamie rushing down the stairs, doing the walk of shame to his car. I can't be mad at him when I was the one who snuck out last time.
I exit the bathroom, expecting to spot Luca rummaging through my cabinets, but instead Jamie is standing in my kitchen with a smile on his face, two white paper bags under his arm with two cups of coffee in his hands.
“Morning, beautiful. I had to go teach a class this morning, so I borrowed your key and thought we could have brunch together before I have to leave to teach my last two. Sorry I snuck out this morning without saying goodbye, but I didn't want to wake you. You were sleeping so peacefully.”
“I wasn't drooling or talking in my sleep, was I?”
He chuckles, setting the stuff on the nearby counter. “Not too much.”
I peek into the bag after tucking my towel tight enough to keep it from falling, and my stomach growls from the smell of eggs, bacon, and something else. “This smells delicious. What all did you get?”
He rolls back the foil on his taco, taking the first bite. “I got a bit of a mixture from one of my favorite taquerias near campus. There's egg, bacon, chorizo, barbacoa, and carne asada.”
My stomach growls louder after he lists all the food and I reach into the bag, grabbing the first one my fingers wrap around. We eat our food and Jamie talks about his workday and how awkward it was with all the rumors his students were whispering behind his back. All of the ones he's heard today are insanely far from the truth and not a single one involves me. I'm just glad we don't have to hide anymore.
Jamie chews quietly, looking off into the distance. I don't want him to leave yet, and it's probably not a good thing how clingy I'm becoming since we haven't even had our official first date. “So where are you taking me later?”
“It's a surprise.”
I tilt my head to the side, moving in closer to him until we’re chest to chest. “I do love a good surprise. I have one for you too! I hope you have nothing planned after dinner.”
“Nope, all I was thinking about was eating and getting you back here as soon as possible.”
“We could always go somewhere better, like a hotel or something.”
“What's wrong with here?”
“You're okay with sleeping here?”
