Page 71 of Fresh Canvas
I sat up straighter, despite Mr. Fluff Button’s irritation. “Val Russo! Are you ditching work too?”
“Yes, I think I will. You’re a terrible influence on me,” he said. “I’ll use some paid time off. They don’t need to know why.”
“That sounds perfect.”
A butterfly-filled silence stretched across the phone line before Val said, “It sounds like you’re watching TV over there?”
“Yes—Whisper Harbor. If you say you hate it, we’re breaking up right now.”
“Wait,” Val teased, “I don’t remember agreeing to be in a relationship with you.”
Crap.
We hadn’t even put a label on whateverthiswas, and it was much too early to be talking about commitment. I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Lucky for you, I’m very interested in being in this relationship.”
I forgot how to breathe.
“So I definitely don’t want to get dumped over a TV show. Tell me what episode you’re on and we’ll watch it together.”
My hands fumbled for the remote. “Season two, episode fourteen.” I put my phone on speaker mode so I could wrap up in his jacket tighter. We spent the rest of the evening watching my favorite comfort show, miles away from each other.
I didn’t even care that my ice cream had, indeed, turned into cold soup.
nineteen
VAL
Iawoke with my phone sandwiched between my cheek and pillow. Sunlight edged the thick curtains of my bedroom. I slid the phone away, chuckling as my fingers traced the indent it had left. I hadn’t been this happy in such a long time, I’d almost forgotten how it felt. And it was all because ofher.
Amantha was a force. Like a tornado, she picked me up and flung me back into reality, bringing pieces of myself back that I thought were lost forever. For the first time since Stella’s death, I woke feeling calm. Playful, even.
My luxurious charcoal sheets shifted as I rolled onto my back. While the silk was soft against my skin, I couldn’t help wishing I was back in Amantha’s bed. I’d have been content to lie there for eternity, cradling the rise and fall of her breathing while she slept.
My embarrassing fantasies of kissing her were downright offensive compared to the real thing. I hadn’t expected her unbridled response atall. The way that first kiss had escalated into making out and staying in bed for hours… I smirked.
Seems like I wasn’t the only one hiding feelings.
I rubbed my neck, recalling the first day we met. That interviewcould not have gone worse. Her sheer audacity and nerve had shocked me. No matter how my emotions had evolved for the woman, they’d always beenintense. Loathing. Curiosity. Attraction. And now?
My phone chirped.
AMANTHA: Good morning.
VAL: Good morning to you too. I had fun last night. Whisper Harbor isn’t half bad.
AMANTHA: You’re just saying that so I don’t dump you.
VAL: Busted. But I really did like it. What time can I come over?
AMANTHA: That depends on how fast you can get here.
VAL: I need to get ready and then I can be on my way. Text me your address.
AMANTHA: Can’t wait. Oh, and I get to decide what we do today.
VAL: And that would be?
