super straight. In this humidity, it’s hanging limply against my face. There’s no body to it whatsoever. It’s as flat as a pancake. I’m going to kill her.
On the flip side, Adam’s hair is all over the place. It’s absolutely wild today. I usually don’t go for long hair on a guy, but it fits his whole vibe. I can’t picture him sporting a buzzed head. His hair is too much of who he is. I’d love to run my fingers through it, but I don’t think he’d go for it. But maybe it’s time to be a little daring.
We’re parked in front of a hoagie shop after just finishing lunch. The air conditioner is acting up, so we have the windows all the way down. We’re both wearing our short sleeve uniforms, but we’re sweating through the black polyester. Adam’s face is flushed as he chugs down a bottle of water.
When he’s done, I tap him on the arm. “Turn around.”
He gives me a quizzical glance before complying. Grabbing the ponytail holder from around my wrist, I take a deep breath and allow my hands to dive into his hair. He’s momentarily startled and I feel him tense up beneath my fingers. But he starts to relax as I smooth his hair back. Twisting the tie around his thick head of hair, I pull it taut. I’m reluctant to stop touching him, but I don’t want to freak him out.
“You should wear your hair back more often.” It’s essential that I keep my voice light. I’m not making a move on him or anything. “It’s too hot to wear it down.”
His shoulders rise and fall, and he’s still facing away from me. Slowly shifting in his seat, he checks out my handiwork in the rearview mirror. “Not bad, Jada. I used to wear it like this when I was a lifeguard.”
He doesn’t discuss his past that much. I sense there’s a lot buried there that he doesn’t want to delve into. Trust me, I get it. Who doesn’t have skeletons that are best kept locked away?
“My ex always liked to play with my hair. She’d braid it, blow-dry it, you name it. It’s probably why I developed a phobia about doing anything with it.” He gets lost for a minute as he taps his thumbs against the bottom of the steering wheel. Great, I just did the last thing he wants any girl to do—touch his hair. What’s wrong with me? He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my partner. And that was clearly a violation of his personal space. Why can’t I just keep my hands to myself?
“Sorry, I don’t know what came over me. It won’t happen again.” Mentally chastising myself, I scoot down in my seat. Talk about coming on too strong. I like him. I really do. But I don’t want to send him mixed signals. He knows I have a boyfriend. Plus, he’s certainly not looking for anything serious, and I’m not into casual hook-ups, so whatever this is between us is going nowhere. He is who he is, but it’s not enough for me. I want more. I don’t want him for just a night. I want him beside me every night.
“Jada…” He starts, but the comm cuts him off. Issuing a sigh, he picks it up. “Unit 365. Go ahead.” His eyes never leave mine and it’s like he’s trying to communicate something to me that he’s unable to say out loud.
“There’s a juvenile needing attention for a possible animal bite. Proceed to the north entrance of the state park off mile marker eighteen. Over.”
“10-4.” Adam turns the key and the engine comes to life.
Yet another opportunity wasted. He drives me crazy, but I can’t deny how much I’m attracted to him. Maybe it’s better to let things go on as they are. If he’s not into me, I don’t think I could handle being around him every day. It would eat me up inside, and I’d end up hating him in the end.
Desperate to change the subject, I plow full steam ahead. “How come we never listen to the radio?”
He exhales. Is he relieved that he was interrupted before he said something he’d regret? He’s so hard to read sometimes. “Don’t you get sick of that top forty crap? They play the same songs
On the flip side, Adam’s hair is all over the place. It’s absolutely wild today. I usually don’t go for long hair on a guy, but it fits his whole vibe. I can’t picture him sporting a buzzed head. His hair is too much of who he is. I’d love to run my fingers through it, but I don’t think he’d go for it. But maybe it’s time to be a little daring.
We’re parked in front of a hoagie shop after just finishing lunch. The air conditioner is acting up, so we have the windows all the way down. We’re both wearing our short sleeve uniforms, but we’re sweating through the black polyester. Adam’s face is flushed as he chugs down a bottle of water.
When he’s done, I tap him on the arm. “Turn around.”
He gives me a quizzical glance before complying. Grabbing the ponytail holder from around my wrist, I take a deep breath and allow my hands to dive into his hair. He’s momentarily startled and I feel him tense up beneath my fingers. But he starts to relax as I smooth his hair back. Twisting the tie around his thick head of hair, I pull it taut. I’m reluctant to stop touching him, but I don’t want to freak him out.
“You should wear your hair back more often.” It’s essential that I keep my voice light. I’m not making a move on him or anything. “It’s too hot to wear it down.”
His shoulders rise and fall, and he’s still facing away from me. Slowly shifting in his seat, he checks out my handiwork in the rearview mirror. “Not bad, Jada. I used to wear it like this when I was a lifeguard.”
He doesn’t discuss his past that much. I sense there’s a lot buried there that he doesn’t want to delve into. Trust me, I get it. Who doesn’t have skeletons that are best kept locked away?
“My ex always liked to play with my hair. She’d braid it, blow-dry it, you name it. It’s probably why I developed a phobia about doing anything with it.” He gets lost for a minute as he taps his thumbs against the bottom of the steering wheel. Great, I just did the last thing he wants any girl to do—touch his hair. What’s wrong with me? He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my partner. And that was clearly a violation of his personal space. Why can’t I just keep my hands to myself?
“Sorry, I don’t know what came over me. It won’t happen again.” Mentally chastising myself, I scoot down in my seat. Talk about coming on too strong. I like him. I really do. But I don’t want to send him mixed signals. He knows I have a boyfriend. Plus, he’s certainly not looking for anything serious, and I’m not into casual hook-ups, so whatever this is between us is going nowhere. He is who he is, but it’s not enough for me. I want more. I don’t want him for just a night. I want him beside me every night.
“Jada…” He starts, but the comm cuts him off. Issuing a sigh, he picks it up. “Unit 365. Go ahead.” His eyes never leave mine and it’s like he’s trying to communicate something to me that he’s unable to say out loud.
“There’s a juvenile needing attention for a possible animal bite. Proceed to the north entrance of the state park off mile marker eighteen. Over.”
“10-4.” Adam turns the key and the engine comes to life.
Yet another opportunity wasted. He drives me crazy, but I can’t deny how much I’m attracted to him. Maybe it’s better to let things go on as they are. If he’s not into me, I don’t think I could handle being around him every day. It would eat me up inside, and I’d end up hating him in the end.
Desperate to change the subject, I plow full steam ahead. “How come we never listen to the radio?”
He exhales. Is he relieved that he was interrupted before he said something he’d regret? He’s so hard to read sometimes. “Don’t you get sick of that top forty crap? They play the same songs
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