seem nonchalant.
“Donuts are always welcome.”
“And the guy who brings the donuts?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Eh.”
But she smiled to show she was joking. Relief flooded her that he’d had the courage to make the first move. Seeing him now made her realize how much she’d missed him. Crazy.
He set the donut box on her tiny kitchenette table, then took one of the coffees and smiled at her.
“That one’s yours.” He nodded to the other paper cup. “Cream and sugar, right?”
A bone-rattling snore came from the futon. Oh shit. In her happiness at finding Charlie at her door, she’d momentarily forgotten Adam.
Charlie’s smile vanished and his face went blank. “Guess I should have called first.”
Kim’s heart sank. What should she do? Go into defensive mode? It’s not what it looks like.
Or be nonchalant? Oh, don’t mind him, just an old friend who got drunk and fell out on my sofa.
They said the best defense was a good offense.
Well, who told you to drop in uninvited, anyway?
As she struggled to decide, Charlie walked over to the futon and frowned at Adam’s sleeping form.
He cleared his throat loudly.
Either the throat-clearing worked or Adam somehow sensed Charlie looming over him, because he stirred and blinked his eyes. He looked disoriented, as though he couldn’t place himself.
Charlie held the coffee out to him. “Looks like you could use some of this.”
Kim watched, frozen, as Adam levered himself up and took the cup. “Uh, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Charlie spoke without emotion, polite but distant. He just stood there as Adam took a few swallows of the hot drink and set it on the coffee table. He even rescued Adam from Groucho when the cat tried to bite a hole in Adam’s ankle.
“Stop that.” Charlie pulled Groucho off the other man and plopped him onto the floor. The big orange tomcat turned gentle in his grasp. The quizzical look Adam gave Charlie asked how’d you do that?
Charlie’s smile answered I’m da man .
Kim hurried in with the bakery box and a big fat fake smile. “Charlie brought donuts.”
She slid the box onto the coffee table and grabbed a coconut donut while gesturing with her free hand. “Charlie, this is Adam. Adam, Charlie.”
Charlie nodded, unsmiling. Adam nodded back.
She stuffed the donut in her face and pretended that all was right with the world. Sure, nothing unusual about having two males in her living room, eying each other and wondering what’s he doing here? Yep. Just another day in paradise.
Kim noticed how green Adam was around the gills and pushed the donut box toward him. “Have one.”
He grimaced, about ready to urp at just the thought of food. “No thanks.”
She needed to torture him. After all, it was his fault that Charlie was giving her the evil eye. “Aw, come on. You don’t know what you’re missing.” She nudged the box closer.
Charlie cleared his throat. “I’ll be leaving.” He gave Kim a meaningful look. “Think you can walk me to the door?”
Here it comes . She stood and followed him into the hall. Then he waited, as though expecting her to explain.
When she didn’t, he told her what she already knew.
“That’s the guy from Hanover’s. Your ex- whatever.”
“Yeah.”
Heat flashed in Charlie’s eyes, and his lips tightened to a narrow line. “For God’s sake, Kim.
Tell me you’re not getting back with him.” Before she could respond, he delivered the coup de grace.
“He’s not in love with you.”
She forgot that she didn’t want Adam in love with her, forgot that she didn’t love him, maybe never had. Her temper ignited like tinder, because Charlie had pressed her hot button, touched on her deepest fear. “Well, of course not. What man in his right mind would ever fall for me?”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it. You saw him with that other woman. He’s in love with her. You saw it yourself. He’s using you.”
“Using me? What for? Wait a minute. Do
“Donuts are always welcome.”
“And the guy who brings the donuts?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Eh.”
But she smiled to show she was joking. Relief flooded her that he’d had the courage to make the first move. Seeing him now made her realize how much she’d missed him. Crazy.
He set the donut box on her tiny kitchenette table, then took one of the coffees and smiled at her.
“That one’s yours.” He nodded to the other paper cup. “Cream and sugar, right?”
A bone-rattling snore came from the futon. Oh shit. In her happiness at finding Charlie at her door, she’d momentarily forgotten Adam.
Charlie’s smile vanished and his face went blank. “Guess I should have called first.”
Kim’s heart sank. What should she do? Go into defensive mode? It’s not what it looks like.
Or be nonchalant? Oh, don’t mind him, just an old friend who got drunk and fell out on my sofa.
They said the best defense was a good offense.
Well, who told you to drop in uninvited, anyway?
As she struggled to decide, Charlie walked over to the futon and frowned at Adam’s sleeping form.
He cleared his throat loudly.
Either the throat-clearing worked or Adam somehow sensed Charlie looming over him, because he stirred and blinked his eyes. He looked disoriented, as though he couldn’t place himself.
Charlie held the coffee out to him. “Looks like you could use some of this.”
Kim watched, frozen, as Adam levered himself up and took the cup. “Uh, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Charlie spoke without emotion, polite but distant. He just stood there as Adam took a few swallows of the hot drink and set it on the coffee table. He even rescued Adam from Groucho when the cat tried to bite a hole in Adam’s ankle.
“Stop that.” Charlie pulled Groucho off the other man and plopped him onto the floor. The big orange tomcat turned gentle in his grasp. The quizzical look Adam gave Charlie asked how’d you do that?
Charlie’s smile answered I’m da man .
Kim hurried in with the bakery box and a big fat fake smile. “Charlie brought donuts.”
She slid the box onto the coffee table and grabbed a coconut donut while gesturing with her free hand. “Charlie, this is Adam. Adam, Charlie.”
Charlie nodded, unsmiling. Adam nodded back.
She stuffed the donut in her face and pretended that all was right with the world. Sure, nothing unusual about having two males in her living room, eying each other and wondering what’s he doing here? Yep. Just another day in paradise.
Kim noticed how green Adam was around the gills and pushed the donut box toward him. “Have one.”
He grimaced, about ready to urp at just the thought of food. “No thanks.”
She needed to torture him. After all, it was his fault that Charlie was giving her the evil eye. “Aw, come on. You don’t know what you’re missing.” She nudged the box closer.
Charlie cleared his throat. “I’ll be leaving.” He gave Kim a meaningful look. “Think you can walk me to the door?”
Here it comes . She stood and followed him into the hall. Then he waited, as though expecting her to explain.
When she didn’t, he told her what she already knew.
“That’s the guy from Hanover’s. Your ex- whatever.”
“Yeah.”
Heat flashed in Charlie’s eyes, and his lips tightened to a narrow line. “For God’s sake, Kim.
Tell me you’re not getting back with him.” Before she could respond, he delivered the coup de grace.
“He’s not in love with you.”
She forgot that she didn’t want Adam in love with her, forgot that she didn’t love him, maybe never had. Her temper ignited like tinder, because Charlie had pressed her hot button, touched on her deepest fear. “Well, of course not. What man in his right mind would ever fall for me?”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it. You saw him with that other woman. He’s in love with her. You saw it yourself. He’s using you.”
“Using me? What for? Wait a minute. Do
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