Page 71 of The Fire Walker
“I’ll pay them foryou.”
“Dee, don’t be stupid.” There was no way I was taking hismoney.
“I have money,” he said like it was nothing. “You have bills. When they combine, magichappens.”
I didn’t want to say anything to upset him. He obviously wanted to help, but it had been a day since we’d begun to work stuff out. He was still in thatglowystage, and so wasI.
“I like working at the cafe,” I said, truthfully. “I have friends there, so it’s not sobad.”
“If it makes you happy.” He kissed the corner of my mouth. “What are theylike?”
“Who? The guys at Couch?” I asked. When he nodded, I said, “They’re great. Ed’s the best boss. Total opposite of Georgie. I think you’ll like him. Ana’s pretty ballsy and a heap of fun to work with. She’s the kind of person who makes a shitty shift go fast. Des is nice, too. He works the coffee machine like aboss.”
I looked up when Dee didn’t say anything, and he was watching me with a strange smile on hisface.
“What?” I asked. Toomuch?
“Nothing, it’sjust…”
“Justwhat?”
“I’m glad it’s workingout.”
“Me,too.”
We lay there a while just looking at each other like lovesick teenagers, every now and then sneaking kisses from each other. This was everything I’d ever wanted. I felt like I’d found my missing piece, and we fit together perfectly. I wasn’t letting Dee out of my sight ever again. I knew I had to explain the reason why I’d run out on him like I did. I mean, I’d told him I was terrified of the feelings that were inside me, and that was the honest truth, but I had to tell him the whole sordid story of my first year in New York. After all, it was the catalyst for all of the things that had torn usapart.
But not now. Not while we were naked in bed together. I would explain it to him tonight overdinner.
“What’s the story with you and Zoe?” I asked instead. Those two were an enigma. Any regular woman would be jealous of their relationship, but I had more than enough faith inDee.
“Zoe and I have known each other a long time,” he said. “The first day of high school we found each other. We were both outcasts who didn’t belong anywhere. We were so similar it just worked, you know? Like yin and fucking yang. She’s my best friend, my sister, and my band mate. She’s my family. Through thick and thin. We’ve hardly gone a day without speaking to one another, and I can’t remember the last time we had a full-blownargument.”
When Zoe had come to see me at Couch about a week ago now, I’d been terrified of her. The way she cared for Dee was like nothing I’d ever seen in a friendship before. At least, not one that I’d ever had. “Did you ever goout?”
He shook his head. “I’ve never had romantic feelings for her. It was never likethat.”
“Two lost souls swimmin’ in a fish bowl,” I murmured. I gotit.
“You like Pink Floyd, too?” he asked, an eyebrowquirking.
“I like a lot of things, but I like you more.” I let my fingers brush against the cut over hiseye.
“Keep going.” He laughed, digging his fingers into myass.
“Oh, I could go all day and night, Romeo, but I do have to get up and go intowork.”
“Your sense of professionalism is really annoying rightnow.”
“Just because you’re on holiday,” I said, untangling myself from hisgrasp.
“I said I would pay yourbills.”
“And I said I can pay them myself.” I leaned over and kissed him on thelips.
He went to grab me again, but I slid out of his reach and walked across the apartment into the bathroom. When I came back, showered with a towel wrapped around me, Dee still hadn’t moved from thebed.
“Are you getting up anytime soon?” Iasked.
