Page 40 of Offside and Off-Limits
Plus there’s the fact that Clara and I aren’t romantically involved.
Not yet anyway.
And yeah, I know that sounds pretty cocky. But I’ve seen the way she looks at me, the way her cheeks flush when I smile and flirt, the way the sight of my bare chest makes her go all fidgety and weird. She likes me. She’s attracted to me.
She just won’t admit it.
There’s a knock at the door, and I do a quick check that the room is tidy, shoving a pair of sneakers I threw off last night under one of the sofas with my foot. Although the style of the house is completely different from my condo in Manhattan, the place came furnished with its quaint, small-town vibe, which is fitting, what with this house being in a small town and all.
Totally on brand, as my agent would say.
If I end up signing for another season or more, I’ll buy my own place and bring the rest of my stuff over from NYC.
But this will do for now.
As I pull the door open, a cold blast of air hits me, and I slide my eyes over Clara. She’s still in her work clothes, totally rocking her pencil skirt and blouse, over which she’s thrown the winter coat I saw her in at the arena. Her hair is captured in a low bun which, combined with the glasses she’s wearing, gives her that totally hot librarian vibe.
Not that she looks like any of the librarians I’ve ever known.
I imagine loosening her hair so that it falls around her shoulders, and gently removing her glasses before I lean in and?—
“Are we staying on the doorstep or are you going to inviteme in?” she asks as she removes her glasses and slots them in a case.
I’m forced to shake myself out of my sexy librarian daydream. As fun as it was.
“Yeah. Sorry. Come on in.” I stand back for her, and she breezes past me, her pretty, floral scent following her. “Can I take your coat?”
She shrugs it off and passes it to me.
“I didn’t know you wore glasses.”
“Just for driving and going to the movies. I see you’ve chosen to wear a shirt this time. That’s a good start.”
“I can take it off if you prefer?” I tease, fingering the bottom of my hoodie, and immediately she shakes her head, holding her hands up in thestopsign.
“Thanks, but I’m good.”
“The offer is always there, Triple. Just say the word.”
I watch as her cheeks grow pink. Man, I love it when they do that. It brings out the blue in her eyes, making them sparkle all the more. Not to mention the fact it reconfirms my hunch that she’s into me.
Not that she’d ever admit to that. Clara Johnson is proving to be one hard nut to crack.
I hang her coat on the rack and then lead her to the living room. She looks around at the tan leather sofas and the fireplace with its now roaring fire. The place is cozy, inviting, and warm. The temperature is still pretty mild here in Maple Falls during the day, but when it drops at night, it sure is good to get cozy by the fire.
“That didn’t used to be there,” she says as she points at the TV above the fireplace.
“You’ve been here before?”
“I grew up in Maple Falls. I’ve been to pretty much every house in town, even this one. It’s owned by the O’Connors. They invited everyone in the neighborhood over for coffee when they moved in.”
“Bill and Jen. That’s right. Nice people.”
She nods, her lips pulled into a line. “Is that Bess?” she asks as she moves across to my baby grand. Bess has pride of place near the french doors that open onto the generous yard, and I love to sit there and play early in the mornings when I don’t have practice, looking out the windows at the greenery.
“Yup, this is my baby.” I run a hand across Bess’s varnished wood. “A masterpiece in refinement and craftsmanship. She was handcrafted in Austria.”
“She?” she asks with a laugh. “Should I be impressed by that?”
