“I might be able to twist my best friend’s arm to tag along one of these days, but he’s been pretty busy lately. He got an internship at Montague Enterprises, and it’s…intense.”
“No freaking way.” Leaning closer, she drops her voice low as if she’s about to reveal a secret. “Did you know that the owner adopted a rescue from here once?”
“Seriously?”
She nods, and my respect for Levi’s insanely rich boss grows.
“Yeah. Him and his wife, Bianca, still try to visit on Sundays whenever they can.”
“That’s super cool,” I admit.
“I know, right? They’re the most down-to-earth couple ever, and you have to see their cute little girl. She’s absolutely adorable!”
“Aww…I love kids.”
“Me too. They’re right up there with these mongrels.” She rubs Bonnie’s head. “Now, back to the juicy gossip. You said, ‘he.’”
“Huh?” I ask, confused.
“You said you’d usually ask your best friend to come along, but he’s been really busy lately.”
Aaand, I just learned that Suzette’s not great at boundaries. Noted.
“Oh, come on,” she razzes. “Who’s he?”
Just, ya know, my everything.
I lick my lips and search for a more appropriate answer that I can tell a mere acquaintance because that’s all Suzette is. “He’s uh…he’s my best friend.”
“And?”
“There is no and.”
Pursing her lips, Suzette taps her forefinger against the plump flesh for a solid three seconds before she begins. “Let me tell ya something, Charlie. Working with animals all day, every day has made me a master at reading nonverbal cues. And this right here,”—she motions to my blank face—“is speaking loud and clear.”
“Is it now?” I challenge, playing along with her insane accusation, my normal barriers slowly crumbling the longer she prods. “And what’s my face saying?”
“That I need to meet him.”
“Like I said, he’s super busy right now.”
“Oh, come on!” She stomps her foot. “I need some details if you’re not going to let me meet him.”
Feeling generous and weirdly chatty for a girl like me, I cave. “What do you want to know?”
“Name?”
“Levi.”
“Looks?”
My mouth quirks as I mentally pull up an image of him. “Good?”
Laughing, she keeps digging. “How long have you known him?”
Finally. Something I’m comfortable with answering. “For forever. My mom died when I was little, and we lived next to each other, so Levi’s mom started to watch me during the day while my dad was at work,” I explain.
“Oo…does he know you like him?”
Cheeks flaming, I shake my head. “Nope. And he never will.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s my best friend. I wouldn’t want to ruin that just because I’m curious about what he looks like naked, ya know?”
“But what if it’s mutual?” she argues, obviously invested in the story. “What if he wants to look at you naked just as much as you want to look at him?”
“Trust me. That’s not the case on this one.”
“How do you know?”
Shrugging, I look down at my sneakers and rub my toe along the tile floor. “It just isn’t.”
“Hmmm…I think you should get him down here. Then I can see for myself and make my own hypothesis. You know, since I’m a master at nonverbal cues and all.”
With my face scrunched, I weigh the scenario before looking up to see her puppy dog eyes.
“Come on! It’ll be fun. Like our own little secret mission, and I promise Levi won’t suspect a thing.”
“You mean he won’t know that you’re analyzing him like a hawk to see if he wants to see me naked?”
She winks. “Yeah. That.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I’m fun!” she argues before adding, “And maybe a little human deprived.”
With another laugh, I check the time on my cell then slip it back into the pockets sewn into my leggings. “I’m gonna go with the latter. I’ll let ya know if I can twist his arm into coming or not, but don’t get your hopes up. I wasn’t kidding about how crazy his work schedule is.”
“Fiiine. I guess I’ll practice a little patience. Have a good one, Charlie. And thanks for wearing Bonnie out.”
“Anytime. See ya!”
Heading outside, I jump onto the subway and take a seat on one of the hard plastic chairs lining both sides of the train. Resting my head back against the cool window, I close my eyes and let the hum of the transit car lull me into relaxation. Most say they hate the subway. I love it, though I don’t use it half as much as I want to. Gotta get those steps in. It’s where I think. Where I clear my thoughts. Where I let someone else take the reins to get me from point A to point B while I turn off my mind for ten minutes.
Ten. Sweet. Minutes.
However, after a few of those blissful minutes of serenity, my skin starts to prickle with awareness. Peeking one eye open, I scan the half-full car before landing on the culprit. With a haughty glare, I cross my arms and shift in my seat to give him my back.
The train pulls to a stop. People around me ebb and flow with the foot traffic. Some reaching their destination. Others jumping on board to get to theirs. And a few who search for an empty seat to take the weight off their aching feet.
When the chair squeaks beside me, a quiet groan escapes me.
So help me, if it’s—
“Hey,” Conner greets.
With a quick glance over my shoulder, I drop my head back in defeat.
“Long day?” he presses.
“It’s turning into one,” I mutter under my breath before swiveling in my seat to face him.
Mouth quirking in amusement, he loosens the tie around his neck, bringing my attention to the long column of his throat and his five o’clock shadow.
“Do you usually ride the subway?” he asks. “I’m surprised I haven’t seen you before.”
“Do you usually talk to strangers on the subway?” I counter. “I’m surprised they still let you on here.”
His deep chuckle reverberates through me as he defends himself. “Hey, I’m an upstanding citizen, and we’re not strangers, remember? You and I go way back.”
“Yup. And we both know how unhealthy it is to live in the past.”
“Which is why you should give me another chance.”
“I’m good. Thanks, though.”
“Come on, Charlie. I was an ass in elementary school. I had shitty friends, and my parents were going through a divorce. It screws up little kids, ya know? All I’m asking for is one date. That’s it.”
There’s something about the sincerity in his voice that almost makes me crumble. Then I remember all the mornings I’d stare at myself in the mirror, running my little hands through my cropped haircut with tears in my eyes, begging my dad to let me stay home so that I wouldn’t have to face Asshat Conner Daniels.