Page 27 of Hired By the Enemy
“I’d love a cocktail and a burger, plus a plate of fries, thanks,” I say.
It’s midday before Matthew and his colleagues emerge from their meeting. Matthew seems subdued as his colleagues chat around us during lunch.
I can’t help watching him out of the corner of my eye.
Is he subdued because of what happened last night? Or is it because of something that happened in his meeting?
When we get back to the villa, the awkward fest between us continues.
“So, how was your morning?” he asks.
“It was good. Just hung out at the pool. Did some laps.”
“Oh, cool. So, you up for the hike to the waterfall this afternoon?”
“Yeah, definitely.”
This polite exchange freaks me out. I spent my morning reminding myself of the ways Matthew had tormented me when we were kids, rebuilding him into the evil genius I knew and hated.
But right now, he seems like a cute, nerdy guy who is downcast about something.
Seeing the adult version of Matthew getting changed into hiking clothes reminds me there’s another aspect of Matthew that’s definitely all grown up now.
My eyes can’t help lingering on the outline of his body underneath his thin shirt, remembering how it felt to have it pressed against mine.
He meets my eyes and blinks. For a second, we stand there, our gazes locked together before he glances away.
“You good to go?” he asks. His voice is slightly hoarse.
“Just summoning the acting skills required to pretend to find you tolerable,” I say because I desperately need to reset the dynamic between us.
Matthew looks startled for a second before a small smile plays on his lips.
“I think I’m the one who deserves an Oscar for pretending to like you.”
We move toward the door at the same time. I come to an abrupt stop.
“After you, honeybunch,” I say.
“Thank you, my sweet petal,” he retorts.
It looks like our exchange has relieved us both. Matthew’s shoulders relax as we walk toward the hiking trail entrance.
Is it weird that I instinctively know what a relaxed Matthew versus a tense Matthew looks like? I never realized how much of his body language I’d picked up on when we were growing up, but it seems so easy to read him now. I’m not sure if it’s the advanced power I’d choose, but it appears I’m stuck with it.
I ponder this as we meet the other members of our group and start down the trail toward the waterfall. The lush canopy of trees filters out some of the harsh tropical sunlight, so it’s cooler under here.
Matthew and I don’t say anything as we trek along, the chipped stone of the path crunching under our feet.
I can’t really go into insult mode with all his colleagues around, but neither can I work out what to say to him after last night. I can’t exactly call it the elephant in the room because we’re not in a room right now, but it definitely feels like there’s a substantial unaddressed beast trekking between us right now.
I’m relieved when Henrietta catches up and starts chatting with me about San Francisco.
The path heads upward, but I’m fit enough to continue talking to Henrietta while we climb.
Henrietta is also really fit, but as we get to the steep bit, Matthew falls back slightly.
I turn around to check on him.
