She held in a gasp when she realized she wasn’t even wearing makeup. Was it too late to run back inside? She glanced out the window and realized he’d already turned onto the highway. Damn. She was going to have to keep her face turned away from him for most of the trip. Maybe if they stopped for gas, she could run in and apply the basics.
“This is a first,” Eric said easily as he got into the fast lane on the 405 heading north.
“What?” she asked, trying to keep most of her face turned away from him.
“You… quiet.” He chuckled.
Her eyes narrowed as she turned to him. “Don’t you have something better to do than drive me all the way home?”
“Nope,” he said easily. “So, what is it? A man?” he asked, continuing without a hitch.
“What?” she asked, her heart skipping as she looked at him.
He was dressed in worn jeans and a black sweatshirt. It was hard to tell if his dark hair was long or short at the moment since he was wearing a ball cap. He looked like the epitome of her college boy fantasies.
“Are you quiet because of a man? Did you break up with him?” he asked, then gave a faux gasp. “Did he break up with you? Inquiring minds want to know.” He smiled at her.
“Shut up,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring out the window.
“So, it was a boy.” He paused. “Or am I totally off here? Was it a girl?”
“No,” she answered easily.
“No to the boy or the girl?” he asked, and she could hear the curiosity in his voice.
“Neither,” she said, wishing he would just shut up. She was finding it hard not to be charmed and knew that the fourteen-hour drive would be absolute hell if she fell even harder for him.
“Alice, it’s going to be a very long trip if we don’t talk,” he finally said a few minutes later. “You can’t be that mad at Chris.”
“Why can’t I?” she asked, her arms still over her chest.
“Because it was sort of my idea,” he admitted, shocking her.
“Why?” she asked him, feeling the tables turn.
“Because…” He darted a glance in her direction. “He wanted to spend time with Dawn and…”
Whatever else he had to say, she blocked out.
“Chris ditched me so he could spend the time with his girlfriend?” She almost squealed it out, causing Eric to hiss.
“I… didn’t… no…” He shook his head. “You can’t tell your folks that he ditched you. Not yet.”
“Why not?” She jerked her head towards him, totally forgetting about her bare face.
“Because I promised…” He sighed. “Please? Don’t say anything to them?”
She could see the plea in his eyes. No matter what she thought of Eric, he’d always remain a good friend to her brother. She only wished she had friends of that caliber.
“Fine,” she finally groaned. “But just because I’m pissed at him and he’s not here. Of course, you know this means you’ll be getting the second degree once we get home.”
“Nope, I’m going to drop you off and then head home myself.” He smiled.
“I thought your folks moved to Arizona.”
“They did, but my sister and both brothers are still in Portland. I’m spending the holidays with them and my nephews. All three of them.” He smiled.
“How is everyone?” she asked. She’d seen pictures on social media of his older sister’s new baby, Joshua. His brothers both had sons too. There wasn’t a girl in the bunch.
“It’s the first time I get to meet the little guy. I’m told he reminds her a lot of me.” His smile grew bigger.
“Then your sister and Mike are in big trouble,” she said sweetly. She glanced out the window again as the car sped along the interstate heading further north.
Chapter 2
Eric laughed at Alice’s joke. God, why was it so easy and hard at the same time to be around her?
She was the only woman he’d ever felt comfortable talking to, but also the only one who made his palms sweat and his heart race.
He’d been avoiding her since she hit fifth grade, when he’d noticed just how long her legs were and how she’d filled out her swimsuit at Chris’s birthday party at the water park. She was two years younger than him and he’d been infatuated with her ever since that summer. When Chris had caught him flirting with her, he’d promised his friend that it was just harmless and that there was nothing behind it. He’d steered clear of her ever since, even though his infatuation had grown over the years.
He’d known she had a thing for him back in high school. It had been easy to tell since she’d blushed every time she was around him. But one day he’d caught her making out with Roger Linsey, and their relationship had changed to what it was now.
“What?” she said after a long silence.
“Hm?” He glanced over at her. She looked even better than the last time he’d seen her. Her hair was longer and a shade of caramel brown that made her brown eyes look larger somehow. Even though it was all piled on her head in a loose bun, he still had an urge to reach over and touch it. The yoga pants she was wearing forced his mind to wander to all the other places he’d like to touch as well.
“What? You’re obviously upset,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Which made him think about her breasts. His eyes jerked back to the road when an impatient driver honked at him for not going ten over the speed limit.
“No,” he replied. “Not upset.”
He heard her sigh and could just tell that she had rolled her eyes.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“I call tell you’re lying. Seriously, we’ve known each other since we were five.”
“You were five,” he corrected. “I was seven.”
“Whatever.” She sighed again. “We’ve known each other long enough to know when the other one is hiding something.”
“I’m not upset,” he reaffirmed. “Just… deep in thought.”
“About?” When he didn’t answer, she groaned. “It’s a very long trip. Very long and I bore easily.”
He chuckled. “I was thinking about Roger Linsey.”
“Who?”
His eyebrows shot up. “High school… Junior Prom?”
She surprised him by laughing. “I’d forgotten about that.” She scooted further down in the seat. “Fun times.”
“What ever happened between you two?” he asked.
“Why do you ask?” She looked at him and waited.
“I…” He had nothing. “Just curious.”
She rolled her eyes. This time he saw it. “We dated for about a week, that was all. What happened to Julie Hawthorn?”
He didn’t remember who Alice was talking about but figured it was one of the many girls he’d dated in school.
“Same,” he said easily.
They were silent for a while. “How’s school treating you?”
“Good,” she said too quickly. “You?”