Page 28 of Mr. February

“Why?”

“Uh, I don’t know,” he said almost desperately. “Just making conversation. Would you rather talk about the off-site event? I’ve never done one of those escape rooms before. Have you? I wonder what it’s like.”

As they entered their suite, Jenny relaxed. Wade replayed his words and belatedly realized she must have thought he was making an indirect comment about her weight like her ex did.Shit. They’d only been here a couple of hours, and he was already screwing up. Should he apologize, or would that make it worse?

“No, I’ve never done one, but I’ve always wanted to.” Jenny’s face lit up with a smile that made him catch his breath. “I love mysteries and brain teasers, and I love cooperative board games. This is like a live-action version of that.”

Wade’s mind blanked at her smile. He’d give a lot to see that smile directed his way every day. Conversing with a woman he was attracted to wasn’t complicated, but he felt like a tongue-tied teenager with his first boner.

He followed her into the living area and perched on the arm of a chair while she fiddled with the strap of her purse. She seemed as loath to end their conversation as he was, but he needed to keep her interested and talking.

“You like mysteries?” he asked.

“Yes, I read a lot. I like mysteries, fantasy, history, thrillers, even some cozy horror. And, of course, smutty romance.”

He goggled at her for a moment before she exploded in a flurry of giggles.

“Oh my gosh, your face,” she shrieked between laughs.

Wade’s neck and cheeks flushed. He was glad she was talking to him, so he just shrugged it off. Jenny wiped her eyes as she fell back onto the couch.

“I’m sorry for laughing,” she said earnestly. “I wasn’t laughingatyou, just the absurdity of the situation. Today’s been a roller coaster. We’re friendly but not close friends, you know? And then we got to know each other a lot better, talked about real things in our lives, shared a deeper connection on the drive.”

“Yeah…” he prompted when she stopped.

“And then there was the whole fiasco with my audiobook—”

“I wouldn’t call it a fiasco.”

“Maybe not, but it was embarrassing. You helped me through it, but now everything’s awkward. I don’t know how else to putit. It’s weird, right? From work friends to getting to know each other to roommates to pretending to date for Suzanne’s benefit. It’s a lot in a short span.”

He nodded slowly.

“You’re right,” he said. “It is a lot. It would be weirder if we weren’t freaked out with how much things have changed.”

“Are you? Freaked out, I mean?”

He smiled. “Nah, but I’m a weird guy.”

Jenny snorted as he continued. “But you’re right that things are different than they were earlier. Why is that?”

Jenny’s eyes slid away. Okay, that was pretty telling, but what did it mean?

“Did I do something to upset you?”

Jenny sighed again and looked at the floor. “No, you didn’t do anything.” She mumbled her next words, but Wade heard them anyway. “And I trust you.”

His chest swelled, but he sensed her uncertainty. Plus, she still wouldn’t look at him.

“I’m just tired,” she offered lamely as she stood. “I’m sure I’ll be more myself and less disoriented after I rest up.”

Wade didn’t want her to go. If she headed off to her room alone, before they resolved this strange tension, he wasn’t sure they could get back to the ease they had earlier. All the progress they’d made towards being real friends would dissolve like smoke. But he wouldn’t make her stay.

“Okay, sure, I understand.” He kept the disappointment from his voice. “But if you change your mind, or if you can’t nap, you’re welcome to hang out with me on the couch and watch some bad TV. I’m sure I can find something cheesy on one of the four hundred cable channels.”

“I’ll let you know,” she said with a small wave before she headed to her room.

Wade slumped onto the couch across from the TV and grabbed the remote control. Listless, he scrolled the channels until he found the ubiquitous nineties sit-com about friends in the big city living improbable lives. He let it play without paying much attention, his mind focused on Jenny. And then he heard buzzing.

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