Page 51 of V is for Valentine
“I can do Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday,” Tess said. “Jason thought he’d be available, but he has to take off again on Friday morning. There are still loose ends on the Mexico project that he’s working on.”
“I think, barring disaster,” Felicity reached out to knock on the wooden doorframe, “we’re going to be okay timewise.”
“Here’s hoping,” Tess said, saluting with the maple bar.
“I’m going to hit it,” Danny said after taking one last swig from his water bottle. He met Felicity’s gaze, saw the familiar gleam of challenge there, then smiled at her sisters and headed down the hall to the office where he’d been working at quitting time yesterday. Felicity wandered in a few minutes later, as he was loading his tray with compound, and casually leaned against the doorframe.
“Why do I have a feeling that thisisn’tsettled yet?”
“Because, as usual, your instincts are dead-on.”
She shook her head as if he were delusional, then pushed off the doorframe and disappeared down the hall. Danny blew out a breath then went to work slinging mud, concentration now officially blown.
*
Felicity hummed tunelesslyunder her breath as she smoothed the wide joint knife down the wall, spreading the compound for the final time and rendering the seam beneath it invisible. She stood back, wiped the excess compound off the blade, then moved on to the next sanded seam awaiting its final coat.
Her sisters laughed and talked on the opposite side of the wall, while Danny worked in the office across the hall, also feathering seams. Even though he didn’t make a sound, she was more aware of him than she was of her sisters.
Fall for him indeed.
Even if she did—and she wasn’t going to—that was a secret she would keep to herself, because how—how?—could she and Danny negotiate an actual relationship? The logistics alone were enough to keep her from ever kissing him again.
Ha.
Felicity told her evil small voice to butt out as she wiped excess compound from the joint knife. Her seams so far were perfect, and she’d accomplished her morning Danny goal. She’d laid out her parameters and made clear what was and was not permissible. And even though they had a way to go before they accomplished a meeting of the minds, they were close.
The one big difference between the promise she’d made herself last night while brushing her teeth and what had happened this morning, was that shehadn’tbrought things back to normal. After a long night, she’d come to understand that there was no such thing as “back to normal.” They’d crossed the line too many times. They would therefore forge a new normal, and she’d laid the groundwork a few hours ago.
Did she have a clear picture of what the new normal looked like?
Well…she knew what itdidn’tlook like—it didn’t look like falling in love, despite what Danny said. In a perfect world she and Danny would work harmoniously side by side for the remainder of the project and part friends when she flew off to Seattle.
Was that possible?
She had no idea, but she intended to remain firm—rigid, if she wanted to get technical about it—on one aspect of the situation. They were not going to grow close in any way but in a friendship way. They could tease and argue and spar and kiss; they could maintain their newfound status quo, but that was it. She knew how far she could go, and Danny would have to accept her limits.
“Hey.”
She jumped at the sound of his voice, the knife gouging the mud.
“Problem?” he asked in a low voice as she swung around with an accusatory look. He didn’t seem to notice the gouge.
“Standing in front of me.”
He gave a takes-one-to-know-one snort as he moved into the room. “I got a text from Sandra. We need to meet briefly. I told her to come here.”
“That’s fine.”
“Just checking.” One corner of his mouth lifted, the crooked smile warming her while simultaneously dulling her sense of self-protection.
Was the slow burn of attraction better than the freight train of annoyance she was used to when dealing with her former neighbor? The burn was better in many regards, but the freight train was safer.
You have this, she told herself.
Her troublesome inner voice cleared its throat.You’re worried that you don’t.
No. She wasn’t.
