But deep down, I knew that wasn’t true.
• • •
When I’d finished prepping food for the next day and closing up the shop, I sat at the counter again and called Miles. “Hi.”
“Hey you.” He sounded sleepy.
“Did I wake you?” I pictured him, hair tousled and chest bare, reaching for his glasses on the nightstand.
What? What are you doing? Stop that—put some clothes on him this instant!
“Yes,” he said, clearing his throat, “but I’m glad you called. I was just having a dream about you.”
I slammed my eyes shut, my mind immediately taking off his pants.
“We were at your shop, and I was eating a bagel.”
“A bagel?” Relieved it wasn’t a sex dream, I smiled. “Don’t even have those here.” Wait, was there something sexual about a bagel?
“Yes, a bagel, and you wanted to take my picture but you couldn’t find your camera. And then you turned into a bear.”
I burst out laughing. “A bear? Seriously? Not even a bunny or a cat or something sweet and cute?”
“Nope. A big old bear.”
“And then what?”
“Then you called me.”
“I saved you from the bear that was myself.”
“Yes.” He made a sound like he was stretching, and my mind drifted back into dangerous territory. “So what’s up?”
“Well, I was going to go for a swim and then see if you wanted to meet.”
“Oh yeah? Where do you swim?”
“At the gym.”
“Come over here and swim.”
I hesitated. “At your house?”
“Yeah. We have a pool here, remember? In which I repeatedly kicked your sorry state champ ass?”
“Ha! You never!”
“So you owe me another chance then. Come see if I’ve been practicing.”
For a moment, I considered it. It would be fun, and the pool behind the Haas family’s home was beautiful. But it just didn’t feel right, going swimming alone with Miles at night. Other than the almost night, I had never been tempted to cheat on Dan, but there was some kind of spark between Miles and me that I worried could ignite if we were alone and close, especially the way I was feeling today. Better to avoid the situation entirely. “I don’t think so, Miles. I’ll just run over to the gym, get my laps done, and meet you later. OK?”
“Scared I’ll be too tempting in my swim trunks?”
I laughed. “Yeah. That’s it.”
“I knew it. Plus there’s no water in the pool here yet.”
“Miles! What were you going to do if I said yes and showed up in my bathing suit?”