Hardwood - K.M. Neuhold Page 0,68

neck. “Are Stone and Cole coming?”

“Nah, they’re both out on jobs.”

We decide on a burger place a block over that would be walkable if the winter wasn’t starting to sneak up so quickly.

“So, how was the date?” he asks once we’re seated and the waitress has taken our order.

“It was…” My mind fills with images of Watson smiling over dinner, stepping in to save me when Val showed up, and writhing with pleasure.

“That good, huh?” Ollie teases with a knowing grin.

I clear my throat and try to get my hammering heart under control. “He’s incredible, but…”

“Uh oh, but what?” Ollie asks.

“How do I know if I’m actually this crazy about him in particular or if I just think I am because he’s the first man I’ve ever been in a relationship with? Hell, I’ve never kissed anyone else. What if it all feels this amazing?”

Ollie lifts one eyebrow, studying me quietly for a few seconds. “Okay, kiss me.” He makes a bring it on gesture with his hands, and I balk.

“Excuse me, what?”

“Test your theory,” he says. “Kiss me and see if it feels the same as kissing him.”

“I’m not going to kiss you.” I shake my head and take a sip of my soda.

“Why not? You have a better way to figure out your feelings? I mean, besides trusting your gut, which would be my recommendation. But if you need some kind of confirmation, let’s do it.”

I eye him skeptically. He’s right: I should trust my gut. The problem is my gut is all twisted up and confused because I like Watson so damn much.

“Fine, let’s do it,” I agree. I tilt my glass back to combat my suddenly dry mouth, and then I lean forward and press my lips against his.

He sits still, letting me test the feeling of his mouth. His lips are soft and warm, which is pleasant enough. And I don’t hate the feeling of his full, bushy beard against my skin. But aside from that, it’s only marginally more exciting than kissing Val had ever been, and not even in the same universe as kissing Watson.

I sit back and wipe the back of my hand over my mouth, while he does the same.

“That clear things up for you?” he asks with a knowing grin.

“Crystal clear, thanks.”

“No problem.” He reaches over and pats me on the shoulder in a friendly gesture. “If it’s the real deal, don’t take it for granted.”

“I’m trying not to,” I say. “He’s perfect, but I come with all this baggage, so fuck knows if it’ll work out.”

“Nobody’s perfect,” he points out. “At least that’s what I’ve recently been told.”

“I’ll do my best to keep that in mind.”

Our food arrives, and we steer the conversation toward work and other things. The kiss cleared up the question about how intense my chemistry is with Watson, but unfortunately it didn’t help me with much else. I still have to come out to Val, and I still have a lot to figure out.

Maybe I’m overthinking things. We’ve only had two dates after all. I don’t need to worry yet about how and when I’ll bring him more into Livi’s life, and I don’t need to wonder about how long this is going to last. All I have to do right now is enjoy the ride, and that’s what I’m going to focus on.

Watson

“I wish you could come tonight,” I say loudly enough so Ev will be able to hear me with my phone on the bed while I get dressed.

He sighs. “I wish I could too. It certainly sounds a lot more fun than doing third grade science homework.”

“Hey, I don’t like it either,” Livi says loudly in the background. “Who are you talking to?”

“No one,” he responds quickly, and my heart sinks. Don’t be a baby, I scold myself. “Sorry about that,” he says back into the phone.

I don’t respond for a second, focusing on buttoning up my shirt, which is clearly a task that takes a great amount of concentration.

“You still there?” he asks.

“Nobody’s here,” I respond dryly.

“Shit, sorry,” he mutters. I can hear footsteps on his end and then the click of a door. “Okay, I’m in the bedroom now. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know,” I assure him, grabbing my pink bowtie and putting it on. “I’m sorry. I understand you’re in a tough position right now.”

“I hate it,” he says. “I want to tell Livi, but if I tell her, she’ll blurt it out to Val, because she’s