Page 34 of The Catch

“It went well.”

“That all you’re gonna give me?”

“For the moment.”

“Jim said you brought her over here.” Josh looked up from his screen to see Dylan leaning back in his chair and smiling at what he must have deemed secret information. “If you need some help planning a date, man, I’d be glad to give you a few pointers.”

Josh forced himself to keep his face neutral, even as he recalled Cat’s expression when she’d climbed the grand staircase to the dormitories, and how she smiled like a kid on Christmas when she took in the view from the bell tower. He had half a mind to give Dylan a few pointers. “You know, I would have thought a construction site would have less office gossip,” he said.

Dylan shrugged. “You seeing her again?”

“Tonight.”

“Look, I get the whole don’t kiss and tell thing, but you gotta give me something.”

Josh pushed his laptop away and stretched back in his chair. “No locker room bullshit.”

“Promise.” Dylan crossed himself reverently before circling his hand to indicate his waning patience.

“I like her, man. She’s got this way about her.” He thought about stopping there, keeping it vague, but he felt like a balloon ready to burst. Though he’d take Shawn over Dylan for this confession any day, he couldn’t shut up. “She makes me work for every smile I get out of her, but when I get one, it’s like I can’t breathe. All I can think about is getting the next one and the next one.”

Jesus. He sounded lovesick. To his surprise, though, Dylan didn’t have anything smart to say. He didn’t have anything to say at all, actually; he just nodded with the kind of smile that said none of this was new information. And he supposed it shouldn’t be. To Dylan’s credit, he’d sort of called it from day one. Cat was different.

It was like he’d been sleepwalking since Sarah left. Dylan had been gently reminding him of that for almost a year now, but Cat was a shot of adrenaline straight to his vein. He was hooked on the jittery feeling he had when she was around. One slow dance with Catia left him wanting things he’d long since given up on. He daydreamed about waking up beside her, tangling his hands in her hair, making breakfast together. Hell, even watching TV with her on a Wednesday night. Anything to have her beside him.

It wasn’t smart. He knew that. Letting himself get taken by someone who was so clearly reluctant to be taken by him rubbed at a particular sore spot he liked to ignore. But why couldn’t he be the one to take that fear out of Cat’s eyes? Why couldn’t she finally be the one who needed exactly what he had to offer? She could be sure of him, and he could be good to her. Didn’t they both deserve that?

“I think it’s good, man,” Dylan finally said. “She seems like a nice girl, and though I can’t condone this foolishness,” he waved his hand at Josh’s face, gesturing to the stupid smile he was wearing, “it’s good to see you happy.”

It was good to be happy. Smart or not, he wanted to enjoy it.

Josh pushed the little glowing button beside Cat’s apartment number and waited. They’d both cut out of work early so she could get ready, and so he could pick her up this time. He’d made it through the city rush hour traffic and arrived at ten minutes to seven. Just on time.

“Come up,” her voice called through the intercom. “Top of the stairs, door on the right.”

Catia lived in an old row house that had been turned into condos. What used to be the home’s stately staircase, was now the main walk up for the upper units. He’d done the plans for a few of these types of renovations before the city started trying to limit them, and the zoning considerations became more hassle than the profit was worth. This particular building maintained most of its original charm, despite the modern conversion. It was quirkier than the massive apartment complexes that littered other parts of the city. It was charming and colorful and had a vibe to it that was hip, but classy at the same time—just like her.

When he got to the top of the stairs, the door was already ajar, and her scent swirled around him immediately. It was salty, fresh, like a lime mixed with the spindrift at the top of a wave. He pressed his palm to the heavy door, and it swung silently, giving him a moment to take in the candid view.

Cat stood back to him, her delicious hips swaying to the music she had playing as she worked what looked like a corkscrew. She had on a fitted black dress with sequins on the skirt that danced along with her. The top scooped low in the back, exposing the blades of her shoulders as she twisted and turned the bottle in her hands. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in sleek, elegant curls. She was wearing heels, and red nail polish, and… he was staring. “Hey,” he said, forcing himself to blink and tuck his tongue back in his mouth before she turned.

She smiled with her whole face when she saw him, wrinkling her nose adorably, and the air left his lungs. “Hey.”

“Nice place.”

She crossed the small open room to greet him, waving her arm to usher him in. “Thanks. It’s cozy, but you don’t get much more than cozy in this city on my budget. I’d give you the tour, but this is pretty much it. Bathroom and bedroom are down there.” She pointed down a narrow hallway with shining hardwood floors and thick crown molding. “And the rest, well, what you see is what you get.”

He spun his gaze around, trying to get a feel for the place where Catia spent her time. The narrow living room was painted a vibrant shade of aqua. It was grounded by an oversized ivory couch that took up nearly the entire room and overflowed with colorful mixed and matched pillows. He pictured lots of Netflix and wine being consumed there. Her big-for-a-girl television was flanked by what looked like original built-in shelving, crowded with books and a colorful menagerie of photographs and mementos. It was small, but she’d fit a ton of personality into the space.

“I like it,” he said. “It suits you.”

She smiled, her eyes flicking to his hands, and he remembered he was still holding the flowers he’d picked up on the way over. “Right,” he said. “These are for you.”

“I was hoping they weren’t for my boss.” They both laughed, and Josh’s shoulders relaxed. He handed her the peonies, and her grin doubled, her perfect white teeth gleaming as she brought them to her nose. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

She headed back to the kitchen, beckoning him to follow with a tilt of her head, and he allowed himself the indulgence of watching her ass as she swayed on those spiky heels.

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