Page 89 of Off Plan

Me:Hey! How’s your fishing trip?”

Fenn:Fine. The tourists are enjoying themselves. Now answer the question.

Me:Missed you this morning.

The three dots on the bottom of my phone appeared and disappeared for a long while. I’d noticed he had the most conflicted reaction whenever I said stuff like that—pleased, but mistrustful, butpleased—and I could just picture him trying to figure out how to respond to honest, straightforward emotion. It was kind of adorable.

Fenn:You seemed perfectly fine when I left last night.

I snorted. When in doubt, bring it back to sex. The Fenn Reardon philosophy of relationships. Not that I was much better.

Me:I seemed perfectly passed out because I WAS. That tongue thing should be illegal.

Fenn:Tongue thing? We’re gonna work on your vocabulary, Loafers. RIMMING. Say it.

I giggled, then clapped a hand over my mouth before Taffy heard me.

Fenn:You just did that awkward giggle, didn’t you?

I gaped at the phone. How did he always know?Fucker.

Me:Busy now. Patient. Can’t chat.

Fenn:Liar. Your office doesn’t open for twenty more minutes.

Fenn:You’re blushing, aren’t you?

I rolled my eyes. It was annoying to have someone know me that well.

It was also really, really hot. Hot enough to make me wish the man was on dry land and we were both back in my room. Hot enough to make me wish I hadn’t agreed with Fenn’s proposal to “take things slow,” since slow for Fenn apparently meantglacial.I was very, very interested in moving faster, and I was pretty sure he was, too, so I wasn’t sure what the hell was holding us back.

Yeah, Fenn was definitely not the only one who defaulted to sex these days. Andthatwas a mindfuck too… but I liked it.

Fenn:So, the list?

Oh, right.

Me:It’s obvs a list of TV shows! Pick one to watch now that we’ve finished Downton.

Fenn:Pick from this list? Hell, no. Is this revenge for me not being around to drive you to work today?

I couldn’t say why his grumpy attitude filled me with such giddy happiness. Just one of life’s little mysteries.

Me:Revenge? Pfft. I’m letting YOU pick.

Fenn:This list includes Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Mason, baby, take your own temperature right now. Report back.

Baby.I sighed deeply and clutched the phone to my chest, well aware I looked and sounded like a lovesick idiot.

It was just a word. A joking word. Toby called mehoneyandsweetnessall the time and it didn’t make me clench the phone harder, I reminded myself. I needed to calm the fuck down.

Except I sorta felt like there was meaning in everything Fenn said, so it meantsomething, and… okay, maybe he wasn’t the only one who had a hard time processing emotions.Shit.

“Dr. Bloom!”

Big Rafe strode into the office, wreathed in smiles, wearing a bright red shirt with white letters that spelled out MAYOR. I tucked my phone away like a guilty secret and gave him a cheerful smile.

“Mr. Goodman.” I stood to shake his hand and gestured toward the seat in front of the desk. “What brings you by?”