Page 35 of Falling Madly
I swallowed. I’d been trying to not say his name. “Trevor.”
“What? The Scottish jerk who ruined your chances on that design job?”
I sighed. “Yeah. But I don’t know. He’s been… nice.”
“Nice?” she repeated, her voice oozing suspicion. “Maybe he’s gathering more information to ruin another aspect of your life.”
“What other aspect?”
“Fair enough.” She laughed.
“Honestly, I think he’s changed. He’s quit smoking and picked up knitting and?—”
“Knitting? Dear Lord.”
“It’s sweet,” I insisted. “I’m the one who lost the key, but he’s been so good. He even found us a table at this restaurant and?—”
“Hang on. You’re in a restaurant, on Valentine’s Day, with the guy who betrayed you?”
“Well, he didn’t betray me… I mean, he was misguidedly trying to protect me?—”
“From making a shitload of money?”
“He didn’t know it was going to be so successful.”
“Teresa.” Suze switched to her mom voice. “You bitched to me about this guy for months. Months. He was the reason you almost didn’t take that job with Charlie and Bess. I had to talk you into it. I didn’t want you to lose your condo.”
“And I appreciate it. I needed this job, and it’s been good.”
“You told me that you were doing your best to avoid this dude at all costs. How did you even end up in Cozy Creek with him? Did he kidnap you?”
“No,” I said, but my voice faltered.
“Listen. It sounds like you’re warming up to him, and I don’t want you to get hurt. You’ve just broken up with someone. You’re in a vulnerable state, right? Anyone would be. And I know the Scottish accent is irresistible, and it’s probably tempting to have this rebound thing. But I want you to find something real! That’ll never happen if you keep picking these terrible guys.”
I wanted to argue that Trevor wasn’t a terrible guy, but how could I possibly know that? I’d been wrong about Richard. She’d watched my sorry dating history for a long time. I couldn’t blame her for being concerned.
I ended the call, promising her I’d be careful, and returned to the table, my thoughts a jumbled mess. Suze was right. Iwaswarming up to Trevor, and if I let myself get any more comfortable… if I got myself invited to his cabin… who knew what would happen? I was feeling too vulnerable, and Trevor was being too nice.
I had to tough it out on the office floor. It was the only option. But I’d try to make myself as comfortable as possible.
“Do you know if Cozy Creek sells any clothing these days?” I asked. “Anything at all? I don’t want to sleep in my jeans.”
“You don’t sleep in the nude?” He looked disappointed. “So, the location in your dream was not a bedroom, then?”
We were still on the sex dream, then? I had to smile. “I don’t think that dream scenario would ever happen in real life.”
“Are we talking about an alien planet or just in the supermarket aisle?”
It had been a scorching-hot dream, one I hadn’t thought about in a long time. He’d never guess it, which was for the best. I’d take that one to my grave.
“I’m not giving you any hints. You must guess all three things correctly.”
I thoroughly enjoyed the frustration on his face as he got up and settled the bill.
When we stepped back outside, it was pitch dark. The streetlamps glowed along Main Street. We walked towards the lights, and I noticed myself huddling closer to Trevor than before. It felt safer. With my body still warm from the meal and my head a little light from wine, I didn’t feel like questioning it. In extenuating circumstances, even enemies had to work together. For survival.
Trevor kept throwing me wild guesses, mostly locations around Denver, and I kept laughing him off.
