“That’s too bad. I’ll be up in a second to see what we can do.” I turned back to Calder after she’d headed back upstairs. “Sorry—”
“Don’t be sorry. Go.” He gave me a tight smile. “Take as long as you need. I’ll be here.”
But would he really? Notwithstanding the fact that he needed to catch one of the late ferries, would he keep coming around if I kept digging in my heels about not dating? He’d dropped enough hints all evening that he wouldn’t mind a change in status. Heck, he’d invited us to a major family event. Eventually, he was going to find someone more free to embrace his newfound domestic side. And I missed him already.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Calder
“Whoa! Take any more frustration out on those weights and the steel might bend.” Max strolled over to me as I finished my last set of free weights in the gym on base. “Luckily I have the answer for you.”
Frowning, I put the weights back on their rack. “I haven’t told you the problem yet.”
“Doesn’t matter. I have the solution for all your ills.” His dark eyes flashed as he made a gesture like he was about to offer me a gift.
I highly doubted that. Max couldn’t magically make Felix ready to date me for real nor could he fix any of the other dozen things on my mind. However, I owed him for not asking a ton of questions when I’d fessed up that the cabin wasn’t legally mine after all. My relief over not being teased was something a psych like Felix would have a field day with. Still, Max deserved way more than a brush-off, so I stepped closer. “I’m listening.”
“Highly exclusive poker party tonight. Catered foods. Experienced players only.” Max was coming off a treadmill run, and he paused to wipe his face with his shirt. “It’s exactly what you need for whatever funk you’ve been in the last few months, and I scored us both an invite at the last minute when spots opened up.”
“You didn’t ask me first.”
“Dude. It’s cards. You’re off tonight and tomorrow. What more do you need to know?” Heading toward the locker room, he motioned for me to follow him.
“I have plans.”
“Change them.” He paused at the locker room door to give me a mock stern look as if he were a CO giving me an order.
But this wasn’t a mission-critical situation no matter what Max seemed to think, so I shook my head. “Can’t. Char—someone is counting on me.”
“A new girl?” Max raised an eyebrow as we both grabbed towels from our lockers.
“Guy. Felix. Charlotte is his kid. It’s complicated.” I didn’t want to get into the whole tale right then, but I also wasn’t going to lie to my friend. Felix would probably object to being labeled as my guy, but unlike him, I wasn’t invested in keeping up the fiction that all we had going was a close friendship. If that’s all Felix truly wanted, then so be it. I’d be happy to be his friend, but I also was done being scared of the relationship word.
“Sounds like it. Sure you can’t get out of whatever it is?” He stripped off his shirt. Attraction was such a funny thing. Max and all his muscles did nothing for me, but Felix and his slim body and bookish silver fox looks made my pulse hum like nothing else.
“I already told him I’m coming.” Toting my shower stuff, I followed Max to the showers.
“I’d say bring him, but I’m not giving up my seat.”
“It’s not his style anyway. And the thing is for his kid, so I doubt he can get away tonight.”
“And you’re staying in all night too?”
“Yup.” I nodded even though Felix didn’t know that yet. My plan was to offer dinner help and wrangle some time with him as a bonus after the dance performance. Things had been tense all week even though we’d still talked most nights. He wouldn’t agree to Chicago, but he also hadn’t totally slammed that door either. More like the door was cracked but he refused to step through. No matter. I had a plan to coax him into giving things between us a real try, Chicago trip included. And me taking off for a night of poker didn’t enter into my goals.
Even if I was tempted. Cards sounded way more fun than a kid dance that Felix had only grudgingly given me the details on. He rather clearly expected me to bail. He wouldn’t be at all surprised or upset if I canceled. Which was why I had to go.
If I went with Max instead, I’d be right back where I’d been a few weeks ago at the cabin with my crew. Missing Felix. Lonely even with my buddies around. Something had been missing from my life for some time now. I’d thought it was connected to my career, but I was increasingly sure that the missing element was a person, not a thing.
And I had to prove it to him by showing up. So I shook my head again as Max opened the curtain to his shower. “Sorry. I bet you don’t have a problem finding someone else to go.”
He whistled low. “Damn. Suit yourself, but never thought I’d see the day you turned down a chance to win big.”
Join the club. But here I was, showering fast so I could catch the ferry in time to catch the right bus to the community center with the girls’ after-school program. I could have driven, but the ferry was actually the faster option, and part of my plan to spend more time with Felix involved not having my car with me.
* * *
“You made it.” Exactly as I’d predicted, Felix seemed surprised as we met up outside the community center, my bus arriving shortly before I spotted his SUV.
“I said I’d try.” I sounded defensive, but he could pretend a little harder to be happy to see me. He looked damn good in his doctor attire with a crisp white shirt and green tie that seemed ready to welcome early spring. I wanted to touch him in the worst way, but I couldn’t risk him shrugging off the touch.
“You did say that. I didn’t...” Felix shook his head before giving me a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Charlotte will be excited. And I appreciate it. You took the ferry?”
“Yep.” This stiff formality was killing me. You’d never know this was the guy who two nights ago had debated the merits of various true crime shows while we lingered on the phone. But get us in person and suddenly we had nothing to say as all the tension from our last meeting shoved out our usual easiness with each other.
“I can give you a ride to the pier after if you need.”
“Was hoping you’d let me give you a helping hand with dinner first.” Giving him what I hoped was a winning smile, I kept my voice light but determined. I wasn’t giving up. We only needed a chance to talk things through, and then we’d be back to the cozy fun and warm touches I craved.