Page 116 of Bountiful
“This is a great spot,” I said, moving over. “Sit down, prickly girl. Drink some wine with me and stop worrying. I can practically hear your gears turning inthere.”
She gave me a sheepish smile. “I was just wondering why Benito still has this weird chair. He used to keep it in the woods behind the trailer where we lived in highschool.”
“Huh,” I said, taking a sip of my cabernet. “Maybe it was his hookup spot. Good thing it’s dark so we can’t see thestains.”
“Ew, no.” Zara laughed. “I think he used to just sit out there and think. We Rossis are a broodingbunch.”
“I noticed that.” I put an arm around her shoulders. “But maybe he only kept this thing because it’scomfortable.”
She tucked herself in beside me and took a sip of her wine. “All right. Point taken. This is anicespot.”
“Hey—do you own furniture?” I asked her, wondering about all those empty rooms in the Tudor we nowowned.
“I’llbefine.”
“Zara,” I said, dropping my voice. “I asked you a question, and that’s not ananswer.”
“It’s a reflex,” she said grumpily. “I don’t like to complain. No, I don’t have furniture. Not for adults, anyway. Nicole is all set, though. Her crib is the kind that will convert to a toddler bed later, and she has a dresser and a rocking chair. I’ll buy a mattress for myself next week. And that’s really all we need for now. I’ll work on getting some living room furniturethisfall.”
“Don’t suppose you’d let me help youwiththat…”
“Nope,” she said quickly. “A girl’s got to pick her ownfurniture.”
“Right.” I smiled into the darkness. “But if I manage to get up here to visit you this fall, we’re gonna need a nice big bed. King size. And a couch in the living room and maybe another one in front of that fireplace off the kitchen, so if I visit in the winter we can sit there in front of the fire and watch it snow outside.” I gave her a little nudge. “Am I allowed to assume you’ll open the door if Ivisit?”
“You know I will.” She sighed. “But I was serious when I said you need to do some thinking before you do moreplanning.”
“I will. And I’m not dumb enough to get between a girl and her furniture. But you’re going to need a bed frame and whatever else goes in a bedroom. Oh—and stools for that counter in the kitchen so I have somewhere to park my ass while we’re making dinner.” I was on a roll. “And a table. I forgot the table and chairs. I have to eat during my visits. When I’m not playing with Nicole or fucking you right into that king-sizedmattress.”
“That all sounds nice,” she said, “especially that last part. But it sounds like you’re angling for a long-distance relationship. And this from a guy who said he’d never had a relationship? What if you hate it? What if you realize that once a month isn’t enough exercise in that king-sizedbed?”
“Doesn’t matter.” I rubbed her palm with mine. “The minute I leave Vermont, I’ll be thinking dirty thoughts about you in Brooklyn. Lying in bed, stroking myself, wondering when you’re going to come andvisitme.”
“That’s just the hornytalking.”
“Yes and no,” I said truthfully. “You bring out a different kind of horny in me—the kind that wants to buy furniture as well as fuck on it. The kind that would rather be a patient man. Because you’re worth it,honey.”
She went still beside me. “That’s the nicest thing anyone ever saidtome.”
“Well, I meant it. I’ve been single a long time. And it’s not because I need to have a lot of casual sex with strangers. It’s because I didn’t know I could be part of something better.” I was laying it on pretty thick. But I meant every word. And I’d rather say these things in person, even if Zara wasn’t quite ready tobelieveme.
“You have to remember how it looks from where I sit,” she whispered. “One time I asked you if you had a family—because I was really hoping I wasn’t unwittingly half of an affair. You said ‘Fuck no. Never have been and never will be.’ So forgive me for being a littleskepticalnow.”
Beside her, I flinched. “Yeah. Not the most encouraging attitude,right?”
“No.”
Well, shit. I’d already given Zara every reason to think I’d leave her. Not only had I done so for two years, but I’d sworn up and down that I was a no-strings guy. There was no way I could take all that back. My only move was toshowher I meant business. And that meant going back to Brooklyn without any promisesfromher.
“Still love you,” I said quietly. “It’s just that I’m like those green pears you brought Audrey. You had to pick me before Iwasripe.”
Zara actually choked on the sip of wine she had been trying to take. One hand over her mouth, she started to sputter. And then tolaugh.
I whacked her on the back. “Breathe, gorgeous. It wasn’t thatfunny.”
“It was…too,” shegasped.
“I’m a slow learner,that’sall.”
