believe I’ll deliver it myself,” Travis said as he strode past her.
“Mr. Malone, wait! You can’t…”
“It’s okay,” he called over his shoulder, “I know the way.”
“But…”
“ Don’t worry,” Travis started up the massive staircase, “I’ll make sure to tell her I bullied my way past you.” He’d ju st reached the top landing when a familiar voice called out his name. Travis turned to find Sophia peering up at him from the bottom step.
“She doesn’t want to see you,” Sophia said, her tone surprisingly sympathetic.
“Because I kissed her?”
She shook her head. “Because she kissed you back .”
“And now she’s too embarrassed to face me?”
“You got it. She said it was a mistake that won’t ever happen again.”
Travis returned Sophia’s broad grin. “We’ll see about that.”
At least he had one ally, Travis thought as he made his way down the hall to his left. He’d been in Vina’s bedroom several time s ; once to help hang a picture she’d purchased at an art show they’d attended, and a handful of times when he’d been enlisted to carry boxes and bags from shopping sprees. At the last door on the right, Travis rapped twice before letting himself in.
Vina was perched on the window seat, looking incredibly lost and vulnerable as she stared out the window. “What did he say?” she asked without turning around.
“He said…I have never been stood up in my life and don’t intend to start now.”
“Travis!” Vina nearly fell off the window seat in her haste to stand up. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
Ignoring her question, Travis closed the door and casually strolled across the room to plant himself in front of her. “You disappoint me, Vina. In all the years we’ve been friend s , I’ve never known you to behave like a coward.”
Color stained her cheeks, but she made no attempt to avert his accusing eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve come down with a bug and didn’t want you to catch it.”
“How considerate,” he said dryly. “What are your symptoms? Have you been to see a doctor?”
“It’s not that serious…just a sore throat and a bit of a fever.”
“You do a look a little flushed.” Travis reached up and let his hand rest on her forehead. “No fever, though. The sore throat couldn’t be from talking too much, since I know for a fact you haven’t answered your phone in days.”
“I’m sorry ,” she sounded genuinely contrite. “It was rude of me not to answer or call you back. And I should have told you earlier that I couldn’t go out so you would have time to…to find someone else to take my place.”
“You’re right, it was rude. Luckily, I have a forgiving heart and won’t hold a grudge. Provided you can be ready to leave in…” he glanced at his watch, “ten minutes, that is.”
“Travis, I told you…”
“I know what you told me,” he cut in. “I also know you’re not sick . You’ve taken the coward’s way out and a void ed my cal ls because you’re embarrassed about kissing me. And before you deny it, I think you should know that you’re a horrible liar and always have been.”
Vina stared at him for a moment, no doubt attempting to find a way out of the hole she’d dug herself into. “All right,” she finally said, “everything you said is true. I’m not sick. I’ve been dodging your calls because I…I may have given you the wrong impression the other night, and I didn’t know how to handle it.”
“What impression was that?”
“You know,” she wrung her hands nervously, “that I…liked it, and…and that I wanted us to be more than friends.”
“Is that all?” Travis feigned indifference.
“Well…yes.”
“Great! Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s get going so we have time to grab a bite to eat before the game.”
Looking utterly confused, Vina seemed at a loss for words.
“Mr. Malone, wait! You can’t…”
“It’s okay,” he called over his shoulder, “I know the way.”
“But…”
“ Don’t worry,” Travis started up the massive staircase, “I’ll make sure to tell her I bullied my way past you.” He’d ju st reached the top landing when a familiar voice called out his name. Travis turned to find Sophia peering up at him from the bottom step.
“She doesn’t want to see you,” Sophia said, her tone surprisingly sympathetic.
“Because I kissed her?”
She shook her head. “Because she kissed you back .”
“And now she’s too embarrassed to face me?”
“You got it. She said it was a mistake that won’t ever happen again.”
Travis returned Sophia’s broad grin. “We’ll see about that.”
At least he had one ally, Travis thought as he made his way down the hall to his left. He’d been in Vina’s bedroom several time s ; once to help hang a picture she’d purchased at an art show they’d attended, and a handful of times when he’d been enlisted to carry boxes and bags from shopping sprees. At the last door on the right, Travis rapped twice before letting himself in.
Vina was perched on the window seat, looking incredibly lost and vulnerable as she stared out the window. “What did he say?” she asked without turning around.
“He said…I have never been stood up in my life and don’t intend to start now.”
“Travis!” Vina nearly fell off the window seat in her haste to stand up. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
Ignoring her question, Travis closed the door and casually strolled across the room to plant himself in front of her. “You disappoint me, Vina. In all the years we’ve been friend s , I’ve never known you to behave like a coward.”
Color stained her cheeks, but she made no attempt to avert his accusing eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve come down with a bug and didn’t want you to catch it.”
“How considerate,” he said dryly. “What are your symptoms? Have you been to see a doctor?”
“It’s not that serious…just a sore throat and a bit of a fever.”
“You do a look a little flushed.” Travis reached up and let his hand rest on her forehead. “No fever, though. The sore throat couldn’t be from talking too much, since I know for a fact you haven’t answered your phone in days.”
“I’m sorry ,” she sounded genuinely contrite. “It was rude of me not to answer or call you back. And I should have told you earlier that I couldn’t go out so you would have time to…to find someone else to take my place.”
“You’re right, it was rude. Luckily, I have a forgiving heart and won’t hold a grudge. Provided you can be ready to leave in…” he glanced at his watch, “ten minutes, that is.”
“Travis, I told you…”
“I know what you told me,” he cut in. “I also know you’re not sick . You’ve taken the coward’s way out and a void ed my cal ls because you’re embarrassed about kissing me. And before you deny it, I think you should know that you’re a horrible liar and always have been.”
Vina stared at him for a moment, no doubt attempting to find a way out of the hole she’d dug herself into. “All right,” she finally said, “everything you said is true. I’m not sick. I’ve been dodging your calls because I…I may have given you the wrong impression the other night, and I didn’t know how to handle it.”
“What impression was that?”
“You know,” she wrung her hands nervously, “that I…liked it, and…and that I wanted us to be more than friends.”
“Is that all?” Travis feigned indifference.
“Well…yes.”
“Great! Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s get going so we have time to grab a bite to eat before the game.”
Looking utterly confused, Vina seemed at a loss for words.
Similar Books
