do you take?”
I grin, carrying our plates to the table. “I’m going to self-medicate with this bottle of pinot.”
“Yuck. I hate wine.” She dives into her pizza.
“Noted. In fact, I’d like to take more notes, if you don’t mind.”
Dorothy glances up at me with half a slice of pizza hanging from her mouth. “About what?” she mumbles.
For the next hour, I interview her, preparing to pass any and all Dorothy Mayhem tests should the occasion arise again.
Favorite color: Red
Place of birth: Portland, Oregon
Date of birth: May 6th, 1989
High school: Riverdale
Mother’s Maiden Name: Crowley
Childhood pets: Two dogs, both Cavalier Spaniels—Jax and Bailey
Cavities: None
Medical conditions: Protected by HIPAA
Favorite pastime: Tie between Xbox and bingeing on Netflix
Favorite Series: Game of Thrones
Favorite musical artist: Taylor Swift
And then there are so many things that she can’t answer about herself. I’m okay with that because I want to discover her, not study her.
“Come to bed.” I hold out my hand as she yawns just before midnight.
We trudge our way up the stairs.
“Shower with me?”
“Sounds crowded and messy.”
“You haven’t seen my shower. It’s large and clean. And if we find something that’s dirty, I have lots of soap to use on it.”
“Is this your way of suggesting sex again?”
At the top of the stairs, I pull her to me. “Would that be so bad?”
“No foreplay.”
“Said no woman ever.” I laugh.
“Welp, I’m a woman, and I’m saying it.”
“I feel like you’re just using me for quick orgasms.”
She walks toward my bathroom, pulling me behind her by nothing more than her index finger clasped to mine. “Would that be so bad?” She shoots me a flirty grin over her shoulder.
Dorothy … Dorothy … Dorothy …
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Missed Goodbyes
Dorothy
Worst night ever.
Plot twist—great sex ends in restless sleep. At least for me.
The firm bed.
The itchy sheets.
The nightlight from the hallway.
The extra body heat.
It doesn’t work for me.
By four in the morning, I give up. Why torture myself any longer?
“Eli?” I say.
No answer.
“Eli!”
“Jesus!” He jumps once from my slightly elevated volume and a second time when he opens his eyes and sees my face an inch from his face. “Whoa …” He jerks his head to the side and sits up in bed. “What’s going on? Why did you yell at me? What time is it?” He looks at his watch on its charger by the bed.
“I’m going to go exercise.”
“What? It’s 4:00 a.m. on a Sunday.”
“Yes, but I have to work.”
“Not until eight,” he replies in a raspy voice as he rubs his eyes.
“I can’t sleep. So I might as well go exercise.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No. I’m going to the gym. You’re not a member at my gym, are you?”
“No …” he murmurs on a yawn.
“Okay. See ya.”
He grabs my arm.
“We’re not going to kiss.”
“Morning breath?” He laughs.
“Yes.” I wrinkle my nose.
“How about an awkward hug?”
“Why does it have to be awkward?”
“It doesn’t. It’s just a high probability.” He pulls me into his body and hugs me. I try to mold my body to his without falling on top of him. But with him leaning against the headboard, I don’t know where to put my arms. So I just stick my butt out and let him hug my torso while my cheek smashes uncomfortably into his shoulder.
He releases me.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” He grins. “Drive safely, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Dorothy?”
I turn at the doorway. “Yeah?”
“I’m flying to San Francisco tomorrow morning for a two-day conference. I’ll be back Wednesday.”
“Okay. Um … should I tell Warren about us? Because right now he’s expecting me to go to dinner with him Tuesday night.”
“Probably not quite yet. I have to work with him, and he asked you out just days ago. I’m not sure how well he’ll take the news. Maybe give it time.”
“Act normal?”
Eli chuckles. “Sure.”
“You’re laughing because I’m not normal.”
“Dorothy, I lost all sense of normalcy before you came along. No judgment here.”
“Okay. Bye.”
I stop by the gym and burn a quick six hundred calories. Eli will get the notification as soon as he checks his watch. This makes me very happy.
The happiness doesn’t quite balance the disappointment that I feel over hating his bed. I know he will ask me to stay over again. And I also know I will say no. Unfortunately, I have bigger problems.
Warren.
“Good morning.” He slithers up beside me as I pay for my coffee in the cafeteria.
“Dr. Warren.” I smile. Okay, it’s a grimace I try to sell as a smile.
Thankfully, Dr. Warren is so full of himself, he buys it. “I have reservations at a very popular restaurant. I