Wait. I thought girlfriends were banned from the bus."
He grinned with mischievous satisfaction. "Girlfriend. I like the sound of that." He smoothed his hand over my butt, just as Max made his presence known on the bed with a meow. "I'd rent our own bus. Elliot used to do it all the time when he was married. It'd take a day or two to arrange, but you could fly and meet us in Toronto or Detroit."
"Ooh, Detroit. That does sound tempting." I smiled as he stuck his tongue out at me. "How do you know I'm not going to drive you crazy?"
"I already know you drive me crazy. I'd love to be that crazy every day if I can." He nuzzled my neck and I turned my hip into his. "We would have tons of downtime, all alone, nothing but a bed and a kitchen and satellite TV."
"Wi-fi? I have to be able to get online for work."
"Of course."
I gave the doubting part of my brain one more minute to come up with some ridiculous reason I shouldn't do it. "Sounds perfect."
"Really?"
"Yes."
He flashed his eyes and made a throaty sound, rolling me to my back and hovering above me. "I love hearing you say that word."
After a very hot twenty minutes of "yes", ending with more time in the shower, Peter and I got dressed and headed out for lunch at a coffee shop down the street. We sat in the back. He wore his sunglasses to avoid being noticed. We held hands and ate big, fat deli sandwiches and french fries. After he paid the check, we strolled back to my apartment and I leaned my head against his shoulder as we walked. It felt as if we were starring in one of those wonderfully funny and romantic movies set in New York like Annie Hall . So perfect.
Mrs. Gunderson was at her mailbox when we came in through the front door. "Oh, Katie," she said. "This must be the young man I've heard so much about."
I bugged my eyes at her, but couldn't hide my smile as Peter swiped his sunglasses from his face and shook her hand. I made the introductions.
“Hello.” Mrs. Gunderson scrutinized Peter with the narrowest of stares. "She's a lovely girl, Peter."
"So I noticed." He squeezed my shoulder and kissed my temple.
"I love her like a daughter," Mrs. G continued. "She deserves a fellow who will prove to her that men aren't all the same."
"He's a great guy, Mrs. G. And I love you, too." I leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek, surprised she'd given Peter a hard time at all. She'd been so won-over by the flowers, but perhaps seeing him in person reminded her just how hurt I had once been. "I'm really glad you two had a chance to meet. It's important to me that you like each other."
"I just want what's best for you," she said, giving in to half of a smile.
"Mrs. Gunderson might not be my biggest fan," Peter said when we got back to my apartment. "Maybe I should send her some Slump CDs. Grease the wheels, so to speak." He pulled me closer.
I laughed, quietly. "She's anxious for me to find the right guy. And she likes you. Really, she does. She was very impressed with the flowers. I gave her some of the overflow."
Peter's gaze traveled to the living room. Max's favorite gray couch was largely obscured by the coffee table laden with roses.
"I guess I did go a little overboard, didn't I?" He wrapped his arms around me. "I was only trying to send a message. I didn't want you to think I just hooked up with you in Miami."
I became aware of every breath as my chest rose and fell and our foreheads rested against each other. "I got the message. Loud and clear." We kissed for a moment and Max rudely intruded, meowing and rubbing against our legs. We both crouched to pet him, which only seemed to whet his thirst for affection.
Peter glanced at his watch. "Shit. It's almost three."
I plopped onto the floor and rubbed Max's ears. "You need to get to sound check, don't you? That sucks."
Peter pulled his phone from his pocket. "You know what? They don't need me. One of the guitar techs can do my check."
"Are you sure? Don't do that on my account."
"Yes, I'm sure,"
He grinned with mischievous satisfaction. "Girlfriend. I like the sound of that." He smoothed his hand over my butt, just as Max made his presence known on the bed with a meow. "I'd rent our own bus. Elliot used to do it all the time when he was married. It'd take a day or two to arrange, but you could fly and meet us in Toronto or Detroit."
"Ooh, Detroit. That does sound tempting." I smiled as he stuck his tongue out at me. "How do you know I'm not going to drive you crazy?"
"I already know you drive me crazy. I'd love to be that crazy every day if I can." He nuzzled my neck and I turned my hip into his. "We would have tons of downtime, all alone, nothing but a bed and a kitchen and satellite TV."
"Wi-fi? I have to be able to get online for work."
"Of course."
I gave the doubting part of my brain one more minute to come up with some ridiculous reason I shouldn't do it. "Sounds perfect."
"Really?"
"Yes."
He flashed his eyes and made a throaty sound, rolling me to my back and hovering above me. "I love hearing you say that word."
After a very hot twenty minutes of "yes", ending with more time in the shower, Peter and I got dressed and headed out for lunch at a coffee shop down the street. We sat in the back. He wore his sunglasses to avoid being noticed. We held hands and ate big, fat deli sandwiches and french fries. After he paid the check, we strolled back to my apartment and I leaned my head against his shoulder as we walked. It felt as if we were starring in one of those wonderfully funny and romantic movies set in New York like Annie Hall . So perfect.
Mrs. Gunderson was at her mailbox when we came in through the front door. "Oh, Katie," she said. "This must be the young man I've heard so much about."
I bugged my eyes at her, but couldn't hide my smile as Peter swiped his sunglasses from his face and shook her hand. I made the introductions.
“Hello.” Mrs. Gunderson scrutinized Peter with the narrowest of stares. "She's a lovely girl, Peter."
"So I noticed." He squeezed my shoulder and kissed my temple.
"I love her like a daughter," Mrs. G continued. "She deserves a fellow who will prove to her that men aren't all the same."
"He's a great guy, Mrs. G. And I love you, too." I leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek, surprised she'd given Peter a hard time at all. She'd been so won-over by the flowers, but perhaps seeing him in person reminded her just how hurt I had once been. "I'm really glad you two had a chance to meet. It's important to me that you like each other."
"I just want what's best for you," she said, giving in to half of a smile.
"Mrs. Gunderson might not be my biggest fan," Peter said when we got back to my apartment. "Maybe I should send her some Slump CDs. Grease the wheels, so to speak." He pulled me closer.
I laughed, quietly. "She's anxious for me to find the right guy. And she likes you. Really, she does. She was very impressed with the flowers. I gave her some of the overflow."
Peter's gaze traveled to the living room. Max's favorite gray couch was largely obscured by the coffee table laden with roses.
"I guess I did go a little overboard, didn't I?" He wrapped his arms around me. "I was only trying to send a message. I didn't want you to think I just hooked up with you in Miami."
I became aware of every breath as my chest rose and fell and our foreheads rested against each other. "I got the message. Loud and clear." We kissed for a moment and Max rudely intruded, meowing and rubbing against our legs. We both crouched to pet him, which only seemed to whet his thirst for affection.
Peter glanced at his watch. "Shit. It's almost three."
I plopped onto the floor and rubbed Max's ears. "You need to get to sound check, don't you? That sucks."
Peter pulled his phone from his pocket. "You know what? They don't need me. One of the guitar techs can do my check."
"Are you sure? Don't do that on my account."
"Yes, I'm sure,"
Similar Books
