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“What did you do before you met me?” I asked.

Ryan combed through my hair with her fingers. “I was really bored most of the time. I did a lot of just driving around in circles and working out until I fell asleep. And eating.”

“That’s really sad, Ryan,” I said. “You need to find some other hobbies. I can help you think of some, if you want.”

“Reading is a good hobby,” Ryan said.

“It is. But you’re the kind of person who needs like six hobbies. You’re a doer, Ryan. You like to do things. It’s obvious. We just need to find you new things to do,” I said, tracing my finger down her nose.

“Sex is another hobby,” she said, stroking my core.

“Mmmm, a very good one,” I said, arching into her.

Chapter Ten

Monday morning was a rude awakening. Extremely rude. I’d been floating in a post-orgasmic haze after leaving Ryan’s, and my alarm completely cut right through it and blasted me back to reality.

Rude.

“Whoa, you had a good weekend,” Sydney said when I walked in the door of the pottery shop. Normally I was thrilled to get to work every day, but today I would so much rather be in Ryan’s bed. Naked. Having sex and thinking about hobbies.

“What do you mean?” I asked, touching my hair. I’d showered last night when I got home from Ryan’s so there was no way I had sex hair still, but I was a little paranoid anyway.

“You just look all satisfied and relaxed. Did you go get a massage or something?” she asked.

“Yeah, something like that,” I said, nodding and making myself as busy as I could so she wouldn’t ask me any further questions.

“If I was just your friend and not your boss and your friend, I’d say it looks like you got your back blown out. But since I’m your boss, I’m not going to say that,” she said, giving me a significant look.

I just stared at her. Sydney had a tradition of saying what some might consider inappropriate things, but it didn’t bother me. Or at least, it hadn’t bothered me until just now.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mumbled, feeling my entire face completely flame up.

“Uh huh,” she said, smirking and bumping her shoulder against mine.

“Shut up,” I said under my breath, causing her to laugh.

“I’m going to pack boxes,” I said, my voice too loud.

“You do that,” Sydney said, still cackling.

The rest of my day dragged in a way that it hadn’t ever before. I still had a good time and packed my boxes and helped customers and did all the normal things, but all of my usual tasks paled in comparison to my messages from Ryan.

She sent them consistently throughout the day and I treasured each one of them. There were pictures and jokes and I got a good taste of her dry humor.

You’re funny, you know that? I sent her.

Thanks. So are you, cupcake she responded.

Before I’d started hanging out with her, I would have thought we’d have nothing in common, nothing to actually talk about. Our lives had been as different as night and day. Every now and then she’d say something that would remind me just how different. Those little realizations nagged at me, but I just kept telling myself that those things didn’t matter because it wasn’t like she was my girlfriend. We weren’t dating. We weren’t building a life together. There was no situation in which I would be part of her world. She was just hanging out in mine for a little while. Everything with Ryan was temporary, which made it more precious. More valued. That was better than not ever knowing her at all. Wasn’t it?

I know we said we’d make plans sometime this week, but what are you doing tonight? Ryan asked a few minutes before close. I couldn’t help the goofy grin from spreading on my face.

My parents will be sad I’m missing dinner, but they’ll be thrilled at the reason for it I responded.

We can bring them back some dessert she sent.

There was a sweetness to Ryan that I hadn’t expected but was a pleasant surprise. I knew the whole “living with my parents” thing might be a red flag or a dealbreaker for some people, but she hadn’t said or done anything that led me to believe she judged me for it. She’d been an amazing listener when I’d spoken about my anxiety and had asked thoughtful questions. Everything about her was just…