cheeks heat. Please don't let him have seen that! I don't know what came over me.
I turn and look up at his perfect profile. He must be at least 6'2". I'm 5'5". He's looking straight ahead though. I exhale in relief.
I break the momentary silence, "You know, I'm sure there are girls all over the city who would love the opportunity to be stalked by you. It really doesn't seem fair that you focus all your creepiness on me."
He smiles. "I've decided I like focusing on you, though, Evie." He's not smiling anymore. He glances over at me almost nervously, studying me with those soulful brown eyes.
I stop walking and cross my arms over my chest. He stops, too and I catch him take a quick glance at my breasts, now being plumped up by my arms. Oh, smooth . But I like that he looks, I can't help it.
"Look, Jake," I say seriously, "You caught me by surprise yesterday, about a person I haven't thought about in a long time, but I'm ok. You don't need to check up on me anymore. My life is fine. It's not exciting, it's not glamorous. But I have everything I need. I'm, um, happy." This last part comes out sounding a little bit more like a question than the statement I meant it to be but I decide to let that go.
Jake does his hand through hair, unsure look (arrgh! deal sealer!) , and says, "I just thought maybe you looked a little upset when you left yesterday. And I did that to you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay today , not in general, but today."
He looks so sincere, like he was truly worried about me that I can't help but smile. "I was fine yesterday," I lie, "I don't like to hear about anyone meeting a tragic end, even someone I don't know anymore. But it's nothing that a little ice cream won't take care of. That's where I'm headed. Want to follow me to the grocery store? One last stalking for old time's sake?" I wink.
He laughs as we start walking again. "I don't think it's stalking if I get an invitation, but yes, I'd love to accompany you to the store."
"I don't know if I'm ready for this huge jump in status," I tease. "From stalker to chaperone in a day? You'll think I'm easy!"
"Just lead the way, smart ass," he says, grabbing my hand.
I jolt slightly and look down at our joined hands. Hand holding? Okay, this is a little weird. And there's that warm feeling again when our hands touch. Which only serves to further weird me out. He's just being nice, Evie because he thinks he's unbalanced you. Get yourself together! It makes me uncomfortable though, so I pull my hand away, pretending to search through my purse for my sunglasses. I pop them on even though it's not sunny at all and latch both hands onto my purse strap so he's not tempted to resume the hand holding again.
I steal a glance at him and he's frowning slightly but doesn't say anything as we continue walking.
This whole situation is weirder than weird.
"So," I say, to make things less awkward than they've suddenly become. "What does your father's company do?"
"We make a product utilized by the Homeland Security division of the government. Essentially it's an x-ray technology that's used by airports around the world. There are several smaller applications, but that's our main focus."
I nod and he continues, "My father started his company 30 years ago and has a division here and in San Diego, but in recent years, the division here was struggling. I started working with him a couple years ago and I moved here to get the Cincinnati branch back on solid ground. It was really just a matter of restructuring and replacing some top people who were more interested in lining their own pockets than in the strength of the company."
I nod again as we turn the corner onto the block where the grocery store is. "Your father must trust you a lot to give you responsibility for such a big task so quickly," I say.
He stiffens slightly beside me. "I never gave him much reason to trust me. But, he actually passed away almost a year ago, six months before I moved
I turn and look up at his perfect profile. He must be at least 6'2". I'm 5'5". He's looking straight ahead though. I exhale in relief.
I break the momentary silence, "You know, I'm sure there are girls all over the city who would love the opportunity to be stalked by you. It really doesn't seem fair that you focus all your creepiness on me."
He smiles. "I've decided I like focusing on you, though, Evie." He's not smiling anymore. He glances over at me almost nervously, studying me with those soulful brown eyes.
I stop walking and cross my arms over my chest. He stops, too and I catch him take a quick glance at my breasts, now being plumped up by my arms. Oh, smooth . But I like that he looks, I can't help it.
"Look, Jake," I say seriously, "You caught me by surprise yesterday, about a person I haven't thought about in a long time, but I'm ok. You don't need to check up on me anymore. My life is fine. It's not exciting, it's not glamorous. But I have everything I need. I'm, um, happy." This last part comes out sounding a little bit more like a question than the statement I meant it to be but I decide to let that go.
Jake does his hand through hair, unsure look (arrgh! deal sealer!) , and says, "I just thought maybe you looked a little upset when you left yesterday. And I did that to you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay today , not in general, but today."
He looks so sincere, like he was truly worried about me that I can't help but smile. "I was fine yesterday," I lie, "I don't like to hear about anyone meeting a tragic end, even someone I don't know anymore. But it's nothing that a little ice cream won't take care of. That's where I'm headed. Want to follow me to the grocery store? One last stalking for old time's sake?" I wink.
He laughs as we start walking again. "I don't think it's stalking if I get an invitation, but yes, I'd love to accompany you to the store."
"I don't know if I'm ready for this huge jump in status," I tease. "From stalker to chaperone in a day? You'll think I'm easy!"
"Just lead the way, smart ass," he says, grabbing my hand.
I jolt slightly and look down at our joined hands. Hand holding? Okay, this is a little weird. And there's that warm feeling again when our hands touch. Which only serves to further weird me out. He's just being nice, Evie because he thinks he's unbalanced you. Get yourself together! It makes me uncomfortable though, so I pull my hand away, pretending to search through my purse for my sunglasses. I pop them on even though it's not sunny at all and latch both hands onto my purse strap so he's not tempted to resume the hand holding again.
I steal a glance at him and he's frowning slightly but doesn't say anything as we continue walking.
This whole situation is weirder than weird.
"So," I say, to make things less awkward than they've suddenly become. "What does your father's company do?"
"We make a product utilized by the Homeland Security division of the government. Essentially it's an x-ray technology that's used by airports around the world. There are several smaller applications, but that's our main focus."
I nod and he continues, "My father started his company 30 years ago and has a division here and in San Diego, but in recent years, the division here was struggling. I started working with him a couple years ago and I moved here to get the Cincinnati branch back on solid ground. It was really just a matter of restructuring and replacing some top people who were more interested in lining their own pockets than in the strength of the company."
I nod again as we turn the corner onto the block where the grocery store is. "Your father must trust you a lot to give you responsibility for such a big task so quickly," I say.
He stiffens slightly beside me. "I never gave him much reason to trust me. But, he actually passed away almost a year ago, six months before I moved
Similar Books
Counselor Undone
Lisa Rayne
The Park at Sunrise
Lee Brazil
Death of an Englishman
Magdalen Nabb
Pride
Candace Blevins
Darkness Torn Asunder
Alexis Morgan
Warrior's Angel (The Lost Angels Book 4)
Heather Killough-Walden
Cyber Attack
Bobby Akart
Dragon Airways
Brian Rathbone
Playing Up
David Warner
Irish Meadows
Susan Anne Mason