Page 441 of Talk Swoony to Me

“You’re not?”

She shakes her head, wet strands clinging to her cheek. “What happened today... wasn’t entirely your fault.”

“Yes, it was.”

“No, I...” She hesitates. “I could have stopped you. I should have, but...” She looks down again, swallowing hard. “I don’t put myself out there like I used to anymore, and you’re familiar to me… in that way. It makes for a complicated friendship, as you put it.”

I nod. “They do, yeah.”

“But we work well together,” she says. “I see no reason that can’t continue, assuming we maintain a few professional boundaries for the rest of this trip.”

“I agree completely.”

Paige smiles. “Starting with you... getting the fuck out of my room.”

I laugh as I hold my hands up. “Consider it done.”

“Thank you.”

“But then...” I rest my hand on the doorknob. “Would you like to go out with me?”

She furrows her brow.

“Not like that!” I say. “I meant, would you like to leave the hotel with me? The truth is, it’s been a minute since I’ve been to Boston. I’d really enjoy a friendly outing with my friend. If you want. Or I can just go fuck myself tonight. I’m down for that, too.”

Paige bites her lip in thought. “Sure,” she says.

“Sure, I can go fuck myself?” I ask.

“No.” She laughs. “Sure, we can leave the hotel.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I was about to go out anyway,” she says with a shrug. “I have some friends in town that I like to catch up with while I’m here. I guess you can tag along. The neighborhood I’m going to isn’t exactly in the safest part of town, so... it’d be nice to have a friendly escort.”

I pique a brow. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere until I get dressed, so if you don’t mind?—”

“Getting the fuck out of your room.” I open the door. “Don’t need to tell me twice.”

“I’ll be down in twenty,” she says.

“I’ll meet you in the lobby.” I step out, but poke my head back in. “Should I dress up? Dress down?”

Paige clings quickly to the loose towel. “What you’re wearing is fine,” she says through clenched teeth.

“Right on.”

I ease out of the room, lingering for a few seconds too long, jokingly hopeful for a little side boob.

Or more.

“Oliver,” she scolds.

As I close the door, I catch a glimpse of her smile.

CHAPTER 23

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