Page 68 of It's Not PMS, It's You

I hesitated and sighed. “Yes. I love it.”

He stopped the water from the faucet and turned to me. “You have to try Sushi Ota. It’s right off the freeway near Mission Bay.”

I nodded. “It’s good?”

“Verygood.”

“I’ll keep it in mind then.”

“Well, also keep in mind that it’s located in a strip mall, but don’t let the casual nature of the place deter you from checking it out.”

“Casual is one of my favorite words.”

“Mine, too.”

How could it be that we had another thing in common?

“I eat there all the time. You’ll love it.” Nick stuck the last piece of silverware in the dishwasher and closed the door.

I handed him a towel to dry his hands. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” He dried his hands and set the towel on the counter next to my phone. Then he eyed the phone again. “I think I’ll just wait here and see if any interesting messages pop up from Dee.”

I playfully pushed Nick on the arm. “You can go now.” Why did it feel like I was flirting then? Was I crazy? Time to end these shenanigans. “I really do need to get to work. I may be up all night.”

“If you get overwhelmed, go sit by the fountain and close your eyes. Don’t feel guilty for taking time for yourself. Trust me.”

For some odd reason, with all that had happened with me and Nick today, I did trust him.

It didn’t make sense considering how frustrating and emotional the day had been.

The drama with the roses.

Nick finding the locket.

Butting heads with Mason again.

The ridiculous date I had with Max.

The countless times I wanted to kill Nick during dinner.

And what happened to us while we were putting things in the dishwasher?

I’ve seen you come, and I’ve seen you go, and I can confidently say you don’t have a bad side.

I would be lying if I said my heart rate hadn’t picked up speed after he said that.

He’d denied flirting with me, but it sure felt like that was exactly what he was doing.

Nick packed up his things, along with Karma, said goodbye, and went home.

Back in my office, I sent a text to Dee.

Ruth: Nick is still alive. And before you ask, no, we didn’t kiss.

Dee: I guess that makes heavy petting a long shot.

Ruth: I’ll pretend you didn’t say that. But I’m curious how a man can frustrate me and intrigue me at the same time.