Page 73 of Last Fall

“Yes you do.” And it was going on record as my most embarrassing and favorite Friday lunch ever. “Then I take my booty shopping or to run errands or whatever else I need doing out in the real world before heading home, back into pajamas, and spend a wild evening writing with takeout and the occasional moviebreak.”

“That sounds nice,actually.”

“Takeout and movies or the pajamas andwriting?”

“All of it.” He pulled up my shirt and placed his hand on the bare skin of my stomach. “Would you consider doing pajamas, takeout, and writing at my placetonight?”

My heart beat a little faster. “What do you mean?” I rolled onto my side again so I could seehiseyes.

“Instead of coming back here with your takeout, maybe you come to my place for dinner.” His hand cupped my hip. “I’ll go to my game and you can write in my bed in your pajamas. I have a very nice television for moviewatching.”

“WhataboutSeth?”

He shrugged. “He doesn’t usually sleep at our place when we have a long home game streak. And even if he does come home tonight I’ll make sure heunderstands.”

Erik’s condo was much closer to the stadium than our house. I also hadn’t written much in the last few days and it wasn’t just because I was distracted. The creative energy in my space wasn’t working for me. Sometimes a change of scenery was all it took to get the words flowingagain.

Why not give Erik’s bedashot?

“Whattime?”

He grinned. “Is four tooearly?”

“No, that’sperfect.”

He kissed me. “Then it’s a date. Aseconddate, not that I’mcounting.”

As much as I wanted to stay just like this, I also wanted to get him home so he could sleep. “I guess we better face the music. June and Roman will have so many questions.” I dreaded stepping into the kitchen. I just wasn’t in the mood to explain what I barelyunderstood.

“I think we’re actually in the clear. I’m pretty sure they ate breakfast and leftalready.”

I cheered inside. “That’s right! They’re at AAR today.” Roman ran a rehabilitation clinic for elite athletes and June helped with the training staff. Today was one of their full days at theclinic.

Which meant we got another day to figure ourselves out before having to answerquestions.

Thankgoodness.

* * *

IdroppedErik off then headed back home to reset with a nice hot shower before heading to lunch. A lunch I was kind of excited to have alone. I had a lot to think about from reliving the memories of last night to planning for the nighttocome.

So I should have known this would be the week Eve and Carrie decided tojoinme.

“We got a table in the back,” Carrie said the minute I walked in the door. It was totally ambush style. No text warning. No hints. Just waiting for me atthedoor.

This couldn’tbegood.

I followed her to the back corner. Eve had her nose buried in a menu. “It’s been a long time since you made it, Eve. It’s nice toseeyou.”

She set the menu aside. “I know. I’ve been a terriblefriend.”

“There’s a gametoday.”

“I have time for lunch.” She smiled sweetly up at me. Something I knew well. She always did that right before Max or Sam got alecture.

“You haven’t been a terrible friend,” I said taking the chair opposite her. “We’re still navigating this former boss and nannyrelationship.”

“You don’t have that problem with me,” Carrie said, snapping her chopsticks apart. “I just suck at being afriend.”