Page 83 of Manhattan State of Mind

“You were right, you know. I got quite a few killer design ideas out there on the water. More than I would have in the office. When Matty wasn’t distracting me, that is.” She laughs softly.

I smile. “It was nice seeing you so relaxed and happy.”

“Thanks,” she murmurs, thrown off balance.

“So about that little incident in the water… you wanna talk about it?”

Her eyes go wide and she gnaws at her lip. “You mean Matty’s swim trunks catastrophe? It was so embarrassing.”

I hold her gaze. “Let’s not play games. We both know what I’m referring to.”

She forces an innocent grin. “It must have been the sight of Matty’s hairy bare derriere that got you all flustered.”

I clench my jaw, the memory still fresh. The second her legs locked around me under the water, I lost all sense of time and place. I was transported back to our old life, when it was just the two of us at the lake together. It gave me hope.

“Enough evasion.” I exhale deeply, a steadying sigh. “Are you intentionally avoiding me?”

“Avoid you? No way. I mean, yes? I don’t know. I was just admiring your lovely glass house, not hiding or anything. Honestly, who could resist such a view?” She looks back out at the lake. “Your place… it’s remarkable.”

I let her slide with the change of topic. “I’m glad you think so.”

“Are the walls made entirely of glass?”

I lean casually against the clear barrier. “Predominantly.”

“You know our homes are like mirrors, reflecting who we are.”

I crack a smile, intrigued. “Is that so? Then what’s this place telling you about me?”

She studies the world beyond the glass with a cute, furrowed brow. “All this transparency could suggest you’re an open book. That you have nothing to hide. But I get the feeling that’s not quite right.”

My pulse quickens a tad but I recover, smiling. “You’re on to me. It’s one-way glass.”

She laughs. “Just like you then. You take in the world while remaining shrouded in mystery.”

“I suppose that’s one interpretation. What else are you figuring out about me from my home?”

She tilts her head, considering. “Well, the greenery and view make it obvious, you’re a man seeking solace in nature after years of living somewhere like Vegas. And the single piece of art in your hallway, which I think is an original, shows a man who values subtlety and simplicity. It probably costs more than my apartment, too.”

“Very perceptive. I value quality over quantity, in every aspect of my life.”

She grimaces. “Come to think of it, I’m not keen on this theory. When I think about my apartment…” She rubs her temples as if the mere mention of her living situation gives her a headache. “About that day you drove me home… I may have stretched the truth. My place isn’t exactly next door to CVS.”

I arch a brow, feigning surprise. “Oh really?”

She sighs. “Yeah, I live on top of Naughty Nonsense, that’s an adult novelty store in case you’re wondering, with Spider, a roommate who moonlights as a nude model. If I had to guess what it says about me, it’s that I must be a masochist.”

“Well, had I known you lived above Naughty Nonsense, I might’ve offered to drive you home sooner. Purely for investigative purposes, naturally.”

“I’m game for a house swap anytime.” She smirks but then her expression sobers.

Almost reflexively, I reach out, tilting her chin up to meet my eyes.

“Hey, being serious, I know you mask a lot of pain behind those jokes. As for your current living situation, I’m aware it’s less than ideal. The company apartment is a better option. Next to me.” A wisp of hair falls over her eyes. Familiarity makes me want to brush it aside, but I refrain. “And my door is always open.”

She smirks. “That’s what HR says.”

“I don’t mean it like HR.”