Page 58 of Isolation

“It seems like your English has become outdated since your travels to the foreign lands.”

We both laugh at that. Milo’s hair falls back over his forehead, partially covering his eyes again. It might be sexy as hell, but it’s irritating not to be able to see his eyes.

“I want to talk about what happened last night,” he finally confesses.

“Pass,” I drawl. What is his obsession with this topic?

“Raven,” he warns in a silky tone.

Fine. Two can play at this game. “How old were you when you lost your virginity?”

No one, and I meanno one, ever dares to ask Milo about his sexual past. I was sleeping with him and I still didn’t dare ask. We used to hear about his “conquests” through the girls, never through Milo himself. He is a private person.

But if he wants me to share then this is a two-way street.

Milo fixes me with his “don’t start with me” look. It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes. I see the irritation flashing in his eyes before he looks away.

“What’s going on with your new business?” He gives me a sideways glance. Another change of topic. This time it’s a neutral topic that makes neither of us uncomfortable.

I reward him with a big smile and throw all kinds of details his way. “I also uploaded all of my work on Instagram,” I add to my ramblings. “It’s linked to the website Alexa helped me create. She is a magician. She set up my website with an online store. People can go on my website to choose one of my designs. They can customize the outfit, put in their measurements, and place the order. If I get too many orders, I can even pause the website till I get caught up. It’s a pretty simple streamline.”

“How many dresses have you sold?”

“I have sold five total. I want to finish and ship them out within seven days of the purchase date, so I can ask the clients for a good review.”

“That’s an awesome idea, Rave.” Milo beams at me with a proud look on his face. My heart immediately skips a beat.

“I am even thinking of hiring seamstresses and overseeing them making the dresses. Then I can accept more orders and ensure quality assurance,” I add for no fucking reason.

Honestly, I don’t know if I will hire people. I just want to see that look of pride on his face again. I used to crave that look when I was younger. I never thought it could still have the same effect on me. Suddenly, I want nothing more than to impress him. I want him to see me as the light he doesn’t have to take care of, unlike the rest of them.

“That’s a really good idea. It will give you limitless options,” Milo holds onto his proud smile from before, and my heart flutters the same as before. But this time in the way I’d imagine it would in a movie. Or in a book. Or in song lyrics. Even my pussy skips a beat.

As we wrap up our meal, Milo starts to clear out the trash. I try to help him but he refuses my help, simply grabbing my hand to pull me to my feet once he is done. He brushes off the grass from his jacket as I uselessly gawk at him from the sidelines.

I keep stealing glances at him. He looks unbelievably gorgeous today in his black sweater. That little show he put on earlier when he lifted his sweater to reveal his perfect washboard abs; I thought my chest was going to burst open. Every single one of his abs are stacked on top of the other. It’s un-fucking-believable.

Is it anti-feminist to suggest that his permanent job should be to fill out a sweater? He might as well be a male model, especially with that hair. And that body. And those eyes.

I have seen him for weeks. I have scoffed at his superficial beauty. I thought women were stupid to fall for his act. Suddenly, I am as affected as those stupid women. Maybe even more so.

Last night, I couldn’t breathe at the thought of sleeping with him.

Now, I can’t breathe every time he looks at me, but for a very different reason.

“Did I tell you that there is a woman at work who keeps squeezing my ass?” Milo’s lighthearted voice rolls smoothly off his tongue as we walk home.

Excitement courses through me. “Don’t tell me that Jaci is on another bender to even out the scoreboard for gender inequality that exists during workplace harassment?”

“The one and only,” Milo chuckles.

Jaci likes to give drunk speeches about how gender inequality in the workplace even impacts sexual harassment. It’s time for the females to harass male coworkers and makethemuncomfortable for a change. No one argues with her when she cites facts to back her proposition.

“Oh God,” I roll my eyes and laugh. “Was it today?”

“Yup. She first tried to make Brandon and I uncomfortable by gawking at us. Then she grabbed Brandon’s pecker and called himtutz, and squeezed my ass right as my Dad walked in.”

I let out such unladylike laughter that I almost fall over. Milo entwines our fingers to pull me closer. I hold on to him tightly, and soon I pester him for more “dad jokes.”