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“Where else am I supposed to look? I’m spraying you down.”
“But do you have to look at me like that?”
“Like what?” She moves the spray to my legs, and the mud runs down me in rivers. “This is just how my face looks.”
“You know, it’s okay if you want to check me out. You don’t have to feel ashamed of your feelings for me.”
Jenni narrows her eyes at me and angles the hose at my face.
I block the spray with my hands and dance away as she chases me with it.
I may be teasing her about checking me out, but the truth is, I felt something strong between us earlier when we almost kissed. And I want to explore whatever that might be.
It’s a terrible idea, though, because I don’t want to face Ronnie’s wrath. I value my life too much to go there with Jenni. I just need to keep it together better, which means I can’t allow us to be in that situation again. It’s easier said than done with us constantly in romantic situations.
And I may have been teasing her about checking me out, but the truth is I can hardly keep my eyes off of her either, even fully clothed and covered in mud.
“You want me to spray you down?” I offer when I’m done with my turn.
“Nope.” She turns the stream of water onto herself, mud traveling down her in tiny rivers.
“Why not? You’re not going to be able to get the back of you very well.”
“I can angle it like this and get it clean just fine.” She puts the sprayer above her head and points it to go over her like a shower.
“Isn’t that hurting your arms?” I ask.
“Not a bit.”
But it will pretty soon. “How are you going to get all that mud out of your hair without my help? You’re not scared to let me do it, are you?”
“I wouldn’t use the word scared. More like smart. I’m too smart to let you spray me down,” she clarifies.
I grin. “Are you saying you don’t trust me?”
“Yes.” She smiles back at me as she sprays down her hair. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“What if I promise to not spray you in the face?” The wind hits me, and I shiver. I could really use a real shower and a change of clothes.
She sprays down her arms. “No need. I’m almost done.”
One of the Finley household staff members approaches us with an armful of towels. “Jenni, your mother sent me out here to bring you two some towels. She said you’re both welcome to dry off and use her showers to get cleaned up.”
Jenni turns to me. “How are we always getting ourselves into these situations?”
I laugh. “I couldn’t tell you.”
* * *
My assistant, Maggie, brought over a change of clothes for me while I was in the shower. I ended up being late to work, but since I work from home, it’s not like anyone was there to get me in trouble, though I try to stay on a regular schedule to increase my productivity.
During my afternoon meeting, I struggle to focus on the discussion about the merger in Singapore, instead finding my thoughts straying to Amanda’s arrival later today and the almost-kiss between Jenni and me.
By five p.m., I’m exhausted, even though it was a relatively easy day. Since I got started late, normally I would end up working later, but Amanda is due to arrive at Mom and Dad’s house by six, and I want to be there when she arrives.
I head straight over there as soon as I’m done with work.
“Amanda’s not here yet,” Mom says after I’ve arrived. She’s knitting in her favorite chair in the upstairs sitting area. It used to be a bedroom, but she turned it into her craft room. Half the room is full of various yarns, and the other half is a place for her to sit and knit with room for her friends to join her as well. “But Jenni just texted. She’s on her way right now. Are you sure you want Jenni here when Amanda arrives?”