Page 80 of Claimed By my Frenemy

“You didn’t think you’d be doingthistoday when I asked you for help did you?” I ask. The wind is still blowing pretty hard, and I tie my hair back into a ponytail so I can see without it stinging my eyes.

“I think I made it pretty clear whatIthought when I arrived. But you weren’t interested inmythoughts.”

I reach out and swat at Theo. “You know, you’re a lot more focused on sex than you were when we were teenagers.”

“Well, first, it wasn’t that I didn’t think about it back then, but I wasn’t sure how to talk to you. You were the most beautiful girl in the school and?—”

“Stop it! Don’t exaggerate!”

“You were!”

I roll my eyes at him. “Anyway.”

“And I was still a virgin then, so IthoughtI knew what sex was, but I didn’t really know what it was if you know what I mean.”

“Well, I was a virgin, too.”

“Youwere? I mean, I thought so, but it’s not something I could ask you back then.”

“You can ask me anything now.”

“Anything?” Theo stops moving the wet rag across the porch and looks directly at me.

“Yes, I mean, I’m not so young that I’m embarrassed to even think the word ‘sex’ in my brain.”

Theo laughs. “Okay, I’ll just keep that in mind then, and when I have a question pop up, I’ll ask you.”

I think about the things Theo hasn’t asked me or talked to me about. I don’t want him to go back to that. “Even if you think it will hurt my feelings, I want to know.”

Theo leans toward me and gives me a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll remember that.”

Once we’ve finished, and I can’t see any sign of the glass that was covering the porch just a little while ago, Theo takes the trash bag and dumps it in my big trash can. When he stomps back through the grass, the wind nearly blows him up onto the porch. I laugh as he stumbles.

“Had too much to drink already?”

“No, actually, you haven’t even offered me a glass of water, and I’m parched.”

I tug him up onto the porch, and he pulls me into his arms. We stand like that for a moment, the wind still whipping around us. “I like spending time with you,” Theo whispers near my ear.

I snuggle deeper into his chest because I love spending time with him, too. Neither one of us speaks for a long moment.

"Now, let's talk about setting a date for the grand opening. You've got everything ready. It's time to make it official,” Theo suggests.

I lead him back inside, away from the vicious wind.

We sit down at the kitchen table, and I pull out my planner. The pages are filled with notes and reminders, proving just how hard I’ve prepared for everything. We go over the calendar, discussing potential dates.

"How about two weeks from now?" Theo suggests. "That gives us enough time to make sure everything is perfect and get the word out. You can offer a special discount to anyone who books for your first weekend open."

“But what if I get all the rooms booked up with guests and something goes wrong? Then, there are a lot of people to witness it. I was kind of hoping that my first weekend might just be one or two guests.”

“But people come to bed and breakfasts for the atmosphere. You don’t get that same atmosphere with only a few guests.”

I nod, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. "You’re right. Two weeks sounds good. What if I do a soft opening for friends and family first, then open it up to the public? That way, I can guarantee myself some good reviews, and the people who stay won’t be as critical."

Theo grins. "Sounds like a plan. I’ll help you with the invitations and the marketing. We’ll make sure everyone knows about it. And with the website you’ve set up—” Theo leans toward my laptop to examine the website, but then, he doesn’t finish what he’s saying.

“Theo? Everything okay?”

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