Page 27 of Sleeping with the Frenemy

“To the freezer section,” Leo exclaimed, one finger in the air.

Sofi shook her head and led the way, a small smile curled in the corner of her generous mouth. They made their way through the rest of the store, walking up and down each aisle, and grabbing things like coffee, rice, beans, condiments, and even some sweets.

He couldn’t help but notice that as they neared the end of their excursion, they both began to move slower. They were almost at a crawl. He wasn’t surprised. They always enjoyed each other’s company when it was just the two of them. He didn’t want their camaraderie to end. Not yet. He knew that it was only a matter of time before they started bickering about something, especially once they got back to the apartment and it really sunk in for Sofi that she was living with him.

“They actually have a pretty good salad bar and deli here. Everything is fresh.” He used to grab a quick lunch there when he was on duty and didn’t want whatever the cook for the day prepared. Just thinking about being on duty caused a pang in his chest. He missed it. He missed his crew at the station. Especially the guys on truck with him. But he would be with them again soon if he had any say about it. “Do you want to pick something up?”

She bit her lip. “Yeah, sure.”

They walked over to the deli section where workers created salads, sandwiches, and smoothies to order. Sofi had them prepare her a huge salad that had more fruit on it than veggies. Leo was not one for fruit on a salad. He ordered a chicken pesto sandwich with mozzarella and tomato along with a small Caesar salad. As they waited for their order Leo pointed to the small refrigerated enclosure. “Their sushi is really good here too.”

Sofi shook her head. “I’m scared to get sushi from a grocery store. I feel like there’s more chance for something to make me sick. My mom told me a story about a patient who got worms from grocery store sushi.”

Leo grimaced. “Gross.”

“I know.”

“Well, their sushi people come in every morning and only make a small quantity for the day. They write the time and date on them. You should try one, at least.”

“I’m good with the salad.” Her voice was firm.

Immediately, Leo knew he’d pushed too much. Sofi did not like feeling pressured. It made her shut down. “Of course.”

Suddenly the silence was weighted again. Leo scrambled for a way to bring back the lighthearted feeling from a moment ago. When his usual wit was nowhere to be found he began to panic. This was the first time they’d actually enjoyed each other’s presence in over a year. He didn’t want that to end. He was so in his head that he didn’t even notice Sofi move closer until she was right against him.

“Hey, baby,” she said in her breathy bedroom voice. “Are you sushi? Because I like it raw.”

Leo knew he was supposed to laugh. She was trying to do the same thing he was, lighten the mood. But that voice of hers talking about liking it raw brought back too many memories. Skin-on-skin, toe-curling, life-changing memories. His body reacted accordingly. “That was just mean,” he murmured to her.

“What?” she asked innocently. She batted her eyelashes and everything.

“You already know.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You know what your voice does to me. Don’t act like you don’t.”

Her lip curled the tiniest bit at the corner.

Devious woman.

Their names were called and they stepped back from each other. Right. They were standing in the middle of the grocery store.

Sofi hustled forward to grab their food and scooped two large waters out of a cooler. He followed her to the checkout line where they both unloaded their spoils onto the conveyor belt. “I’ll send you some money after we get the total if that’s cool,” she said.

“Not a problem.”

After he paid and they walked toward the exit, Sofi suddenly stopped, shifting from foot to foot, her water and salad in hand. “There’s a little park across the street. Do you want to eat th—”

“Yes,” Leo said before she’d even finished her sentence.Dude, play it cool. You look way too eager.

“What about the groceries? Will they spoil?”

Leo didn’t give a fuck about the groceries. He’d leave the damn cart there if it wouldn’t make him look like a psycho. “I’m in the parking structure, so they should be good for a little bit.”

She looked unconvinced but she nodded. “Okay.”

They unloaded the cart into his car and then walked out onto the street.

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