everything went wrong. At the same time, it all managed to go right. I think.” She pushed back a lock of hair that had escaped her ponytail. “I still don’t know what I’m going to—”
“Excuse me.” Bonnie held up a rubbery yellow hand. “Details first. Analysis later.”
Angela told her the story of the multiple-disaster evening, laughing at how horrible it all sounded, but not able to quell the deep longing she’d been feeling every day since Thursday, whenever she thought of that time with Daniel. Longing for what exactly? Certainly for another chance to see him, another chance to seduce him. But Angela wished she could say the longing stopped there, where it was supposed to.
Granted, Daniel was the first guy she’d pushed past her fear to go out with, so she was undoubtedly giving him more importance than he deserved, and probably clinging too tightly to hope that something would come from it, even knowing dating could be a long bumpy road and it was seriously unlikely she’d land smoothly on her first try.
At the same time, while their kisses had been unbearably full of desire and passion, there had also been moments of pure sweetness, and tenderness so deep it bordered on pain.
Which was the best reason to want more, and the best reason to stay away.
“Uh, Angela?” Bonnie’s voice was full of laughter. “I’m pretty sure that spot is clean.”
“Oh.” She looked down guiltily. Again, she’d picked out one place on the counter to rid of every possible germ, bacteria, speck of dust and probably the top layer of tile.
“I take it we’re a little distracted.”
“A little.”
“He sounds fabulous, Angela.” Bonnie patted her heart, gloves making a wet spot on her blouse. “I totally think you’re on the—”
“Hey, sorry I’m late, what should I do?” Jack strode into the room, looking incredibly hot, as usual, in jeans and a white Panic at the Disco T-shirt.
“Fridge.” Bonnie tossed him a sponge. “There’s scary stuff in there. Late person gets that pleasure.”
“Oh, goody.” He squeezed Angela’s shoulder as he went past. “Hey, babe, haven’t seen you in a few days.”
“Ms. Angela had her date on Thursday,” Bonnie announced.
“Hey, that’s right.” Jack turned back and looked at her measuringly, dark hair rumpled in an endearing imitation of bedhead. “How was it?”
“Got time?”
He opened the refrigerator door and shuddered. “As long as this horror takes.”
Angela recounted the story while Jack dove in to the job, quiet except for a few exclamations of disgust that escaped him when he opened a particularly noxious container.
“Wait.” Jack turned questioningly. “ He stopped the kissing?”
Angela nodded. She’d once seen a cyclist hit by a suddenly opened car door, and would never forget the look on his face: fear, pain and what-the-hell-just-happened astonishment. When Daniel pulled away in the drippy shop doorway, she’d undoubtedly been wearing the same stunned expression.
“Hmm.” Jack gave a thoughtful nod. “Then he might be telling the truth about holding back and why. If he’d been trying to get laid, he would have kept at you.”
“See?” Bonnie snapped off her gloves. “ Some men are actually good people.”
“Uh-huh. And not speaking of which—” Jack wiped down a section of the refrigerator shelf “—where did you and Seth go off to last night?”
The forced cheer was back on Bonnie’s face. “Oh, we went out. Had a few drinks.”
“You were back late.” He recoiled from something spilled and held up his fingers. “Paper towel here? Maybe two?”
“What, do I have a curfew?” Bonnie threw him the whole roll.
“No.” Jack tore off a towel and wiped his hands. “I’m watching out for you.”
“I don’t need—”
“Hey.” Angela put her hand on Bonnie’s shoulder, which felt startlingly thin. “I’ve been worrying about you, too. Seth is a terrific guy. A really terrific guy. But you
“Excuse me.” Bonnie held up a rubbery yellow hand. “Details first. Analysis later.”
Angela told her the story of the multiple-disaster evening, laughing at how horrible it all sounded, but not able to quell the deep longing she’d been feeling every day since Thursday, whenever she thought of that time with Daniel. Longing for what exactly? Certainly for another chance to see him, another chance to seduce him. But Angela wished she could say the longing stopped there, where it was supposed to.
Granted, Daniel was the first guy she’d pushed past her fear to go out with, so she was undoubtedly giving him more importance than he deserved, and probably clinging too tightly to hope that something would come from it, even knowing dating could be a long bumpy road and it was seriously unlikely she’d land smoothly on her first try.
At the same time, while their kisses had been unbearably full of desire and passion, there had also been moments of pure sweetness, and tenderness so deep it bordered on pain.
Which was the best reason to want more, and the best reason to stay away.
“Uh, Angela?” Bonnie’s voice was full of laughter. “I’m pretty sure that spot is clean.”
“Oh.” She looked down guiltily. Again, she’d picked out one place on the counter to rid of every possible germ, bacteria, speck of dust and probably the top layer of tile.
“I take it we’re a little distracted.”
“A little.”
“He sounds fabulous, Angela.” Bonnie patted her heart, gloves making a wet spot on her blouse. “I totally think you’re on the—”
“Hey, sorry I’m late, what should I do?” Jack strode into the room, looking incredibly hot, as usual, in jeans and a white Panic at the Disco T-shirt.
“Fridge.” Bonnie tossed him a sponge. “There’s scary stuff in there. Late person gets that pleasure.”
“Oh, goody.” He squeezed Angela’s shoulder as he went past. “Hey, babe, haven’t seen you in a few days.”
“Ms. Angela had her date on Thursday,” Bonnie announced.
“Hey, that’s right.” Jack turned back and looked at her measuringly, dark hair rumpled in an endearing imitation of bedhead. “How was it?”
“Got time?”
He opened the refrigerator door and shuddered. “As long as this horror takes.”
Angela recounted the story while Jack dove in to the job, quiet except for a few exclamations of disgust that escaped him when he opened a particularly noxious container.
“Wait.” Jack turned questioningly. “ He stopped the kissing?”
Angela nodded. She’d once seen a cyclist hit by a suddenly opened car door, and would never forget the look on his face: fear, pain and what-the-hell-just-happened astonishment. When Daniel pulled away in the drippy shop doorway, she’d undoubtedly been wearing the same stunned expression.
“Hmm.” Jack gave a thoughtful nod. “Then he might be telling the truth about holding back and why. If he’d been trying to get laid, he would have kept at you.”
“See?” Bonnie snapped off her gloves. “ Some men are actually good people.”
“Uh-huh. And not speaking of which—” Jack wiped down a section of the refrigerator shelf “—where did you and Seth go off to last night?”
The forced cheer was back on Bonnie’s face. “Oh, we went out. Had a few drinks.”
“You were back late.” He recoiled from something spilled and held up his fingers. “Paper towel here? Maybe two?”
“What, do I have a curfew?” Bonnie threw him the whole roll.
“No.” Jack tore off a towel and wiped his hands. “I’m watching out for you.”
“I don’t need—”
“Hey.” Angela put her hand on Bonnie’s shoulder, which felt startlingly thin. “I’ve been worrying about you, too. Seth is a terrific guy. A really terrific guy. But you
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