Page 33 of Riches and Romance

She lets go of my hand and squares her shoulders. Her eyes narrow, and her mouth thins to a straight, displeased frown. “Well? Yes or no?” she demands, one hand on her hip as she waits for me to answer.

“No. If I had, I would have told you and not spent nearly every day of the last month with you,” I say in complete surprise.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “When you said we should spend time together before things got physical, I didn’t know you meant you weren’t going to touch me at all.”

“I didn’t mean that. We were touching just now.”

She firms her jaw. “Omar, we’ve been on countless dates. We’ve shared dozens of meals. We hang out all night, say goodbye, and then talk on the phone until one of us falls asleep.”

“Why do you make it sound like that’s a bad thing?”

“Because we haven’t even gotten to first base. And I don’t understand why not. Did my tears turn you off?”

“Of course not. Nothing has turned me off.”

Her frown deepens, and she continues as if she didn’t hear me. “Did I fart when I fell asleep? Do I smell bad in general?Talk too much? What is it?” She throws her hands up with an exasperated frown on her face.

God, I’m an idiot. I put a hand on each of her shoulders and lower my head so we’re eye to eye. “You didn’t do anything. I was just trying to give you time to get to knowme.I’m?—”

“Yes, I know. You’re an acquired taste.” She puts air quotes around the words and rolls her eyes.

“What doesthatmean?”

“It means, who isn’t?”

“You get along with everyone you meet.”

“I do not get along with everyone I meet.”

“Yes, you do,” I insist.

She purses her lips. “No, Idon’t.It’s my job to be friendly to the punters, Omar. Or to leave them be if that’s what they want. And I’ve read your warning labels. You can be rigid and judgmental and not particularly forgiving. You can be overbearing and a bit of a know-it-all. And you’re an introvert.”

She reads me like a book, but her honesty is refreshing. “And I’m not going to change.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“Not yet.”

She scowls at me. “Notever.If I wanted you to change, I wouldn’t be here.”

“You’re saying that now, but wait until l annoy you.”

She groans. “You’ve already annoyed me, Omar. And I haven’t been shy about telling you.”

I nod in agreement. “Touché.”

She looks down at the floor and draws a pattern with the toe of her shoe. “Listen, the worst thing you can do besides ghosting me is to lead me on. So if you aren’t interested, I want you to tell me.”

God, her vulnerability makes me weak. But to be the source of her insecurity is unacceptable. I’ve been so focused on doing this right that I’ve let that override our natural progression.

“Jules, come here, let’s talk.” I sit down on my pale blue couch and wave her over.

She shakes her head and crosses her arms. “I came here tonight because I wanted to see if maybe you had some secret sex den or a bit on the side. And you’re just…here.” She splays her hands and waves them around the room. “Alone. Doingnothing.”

I chuckle at the consternation on her face. “Come on,” I coax with a hand outstretched.

“I’m serious.” She stamps her foot.

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