The Intimacy Experiment (The Roommate #2) - Rosie Danan Page 0,32
an odd number of people signed up to take part.
The writing was on the wall. He would have to call the whole thing off.
Ethan took a healthy swig for courage and pushed himself off the bar stool he’d chosen as his designated sulking station. Then the last person he expected to see walked into the room. He stood very still as Naomi Grant surveyed the sorry scene in front of her. When her eyes caught on his, he didn’t pause to examine whether his face heated out of pleasure, embarrassment, or both.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight,” he told her when she made her way over. Now that he’d had a few moments to drink in the sight of her, Ethan decided he’d prefer she hadn’t arrived to witness his humiliation.
Naomi gestured to the empty bar. “What’s going on? Molly sent me an email saying the mixer started at seven.”
He experienced a flash of annoyance that Molly had doubted his event-planning skills enough to slip Naomi a warning, but since she’d obviously been right, he let it go almost as quickly as it had come.
“Things are off to a bit of a slow start. This was supposed to be speed dating, but I don’t have enough people to make pairs.” He spoke without opening his mouth much, trying not to raise the alarm with the few stragglers they had managed to attract.
“Oh. Well . . .” She checked the anxious attendees over her shoulder. “I’ll just sit in.” Naomi smiled at him in a way that was surely lethal in large doses.
“You’ll . . . oh.” Ethan fought to control the way his mouth wanted to slip into an O. “You’re going to . . .”
The idea of her and Morey making small talk had short-circuited his brain.
“Are you all right?” Naomi’s glib expression did nothing to hide her amusement at his mental implosion.
“Yes.” He covered his mouth with his hand and cleared his throat. “I didn’t realize you might want to participate.”
“I hadn’t planned on it.” She lowered her eyes for a moment, which was fortunate, because he needed to catch his breath, and he wasn’t sure he could have managed it still pinned in her gaze.
“I got out of a meeting early and thought I’d check in on things, but it’s not exactly a hardship. Besides”—she nodded with her chin—“the one standing closest to the door is kind of cute.”
Ethan tracked the direction she indicated. Emma Klein was cute . . . Oh.
“Do you normally . . . with women?” That pause was incriminating. “I mean, is that your preference when it comes to dating?” He’d heard she used to date her male co-star. And obviously he’d been entertaining delusions that she might consider dating him. “Or um . . . do you . . . ?” Wow, he really had no idea how to ask her if she was bisexual or pansexual, and probably—no definitely—it was none of his business. He closed his mouth with a snap.
Naomi tipped her head back to study him.
“Rabbi Cohen, you’re blushing.”
That was the least of his problems. Her eyes were alarmingly green. Ethan was pretty sure points were falling off his IQ as he stood looking at her.
“I’m sorry. It was rude to inquire like that. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I’m not sure you did say anything.” Naomi wrinkled her forehead. “I date people of all genders, if that’s what you were trying to suss out.”
“Right. Of course. Good for you.” He threw up both hands. That hadn’t come out right. “Not that it wouldn’t be good if you didn’t. Any kind of dating you choose to enjoy is fine by me. Though obviously you don’t need my permission.” Thank goodness there was a fire extinguisher in here, because he was absolutely going to have to set himself ablaze. He let the daydream that they’d actually been flirting die a quick death.
Naomi seemed to be enjoying herself. “Your eye is twitching.”
“I’ll just go splash some water on my face,” he said, already halfway across the room.
“Good idea,” she called after him.
He’d never behaved like this around anyone before, tongue-tied and fumble-footed. He forced himself to look back at her.
“Will you be okay on your own for a moment?” He realized it was a stupid question immediately after the words passed his lips. Ethan just really wanted her to only ever have good things happen to her.
“Yes.” She practically glowed in her amusement. “Pretty sure I can manage.”