“That was amazing,Luca. Thank you.”
He smiled and put his cup down. “No problem.” Pulling my blanket-covered feet toward him, he settled them in his lap and started to rub them, massaging his way up my legs.Luca’s hands worked as he frowned at the TV. “If I have any daughters, no beauty pageants. This is barbaric.” I wheezed out a laugh, catching his attention. He gave me a timid smile. “What?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. I just don’t know how I got so lucky. Why are you doing all this?”
Squeezing my foot one more time,he looked back at the TV and said, “Because I love you.”
I promptly fell into a coughing fit.
EIGHT
“Did you say it back?” Ashley sat on the edge of my bed,sipping her coffee.
“No. I just froze and coughed up a lung.”
She cringed. “Poor dude.” Taking another sip, she winced and stuck her tongue out. “Damn, that’s too hot.”
Setting the mug down on the floor, she said, “You know, he didn’t seem upset when I got home this morning.”
I sat up a little taller. “That’s the thing! He said it and acted like everything was normal. Like it was no bigthathe said the L-word.”
Ashlaughed and shook her head. “You’re thirty and can’t even say love. Poor Luca.”
“Hey! I’m great! A little emotionally broken, but great!” I tossed my snotty tissues at her,but they didn’t make it far.
Dramatically sighing, Ashley gathered them up. “You are great, but that won’t make up for being emotionally unavailable.”
Inodded.I knew she was right. “It’s just . . . Everything always turns to shit when I say those three words.”
“But that’s not Luca’s fault. Forget all the losers in your past. How do you feel about him?”
I picked at the fuzzies on my sweater. Talking about my feelings was not something I wanted to do while feeling like the living dead. I glanced up at Ashley through my lashes.“I know how I feel.” My voice was barely above a whisper.
“And?” Ashley’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline.
“And I’m not going to tell you before I tell Luca.”
Ashley smiled andnodded.“Good girl.”
* * *
Monday morning came, and I felt a million times better, thanks to Luca’s excellent nursing skills. Everyday I woke up to a healthy breakfast waiting for me, then every night, he showed up with a new homemade soup. He never mentioned his Thanksgiving declarations, nor did he seem upset with me. It took me until Sunday night to realize he wasn’t playing anygames. He was just a mature adult.How fucking novel.
Sitting in my office, I tried to plan a fitting way to tell him how I felt. Ignoring the forty-five unanswered emails in my inbox, I came up withawine and dine plan for Thursday night, our night.Reservations and grooming appointments made, I strutted into Ashley’s office to tell her just how brilliant I was. What I didn’t expect to find was Malcolm on his knees in front of Ashley.
“Pro-tip: that works better if her pants are off.”
I plopped down on the small couch as Malcolm scrambled to pick up the flowers that were all over the floor.
“Ha, ha. Very funny, Sasha.” Ashley rounded her desk and sat down with a grunt. “That asshole Ben sent me flowers. It’s been months,and he’s still trying to weasel his way back into my life.”
The two of us watched Malcolm silently pick up every petal. He scowled at the mess as his large hands moved with delicate precision.
A small sigh from across the room caught my attention, and when I looked at Ashley,her eyes were fixed on Malcolm’s ass. Like a creepy voyeur, I watched my best friend perv on her “platonic” friend.
“I think I got it all.”
Ashley jumped at the sound of Malcolm’s voice. “Thanks.” She made a show of picking up a piece of paper off her desk and scanning it.