Page 36 of We'll Meet Again

She tried to keep the suggestion out of her voice, but it was difficult to contain. After a night like this, she could hardly help wanting him. A goodnight kiss just wasn’t going to cut it. Not when there was a fire in her belly and an ache between her legs just standing next to him. And the blush that came to his cheeks did nothing to subdue either of those things.

“I think we better say goodnight, actually,” he said.

She dropped his hand. “Oh?”

“But I’d like to take you out again when we get back from Manchester,” he continued. “Would that be alright?”

Her mind was still reeling at being rejected. It had never happened before, so her ego was still catching itself on the ropes.

“Um…yes, alright,” she agreed hastily. “I think so.”

He tucked her chin in his hand and lifted her gaze to meet his. “I had a really great time tonight.”

Her first instinct was to question that, since he just turned her down. But he seemed to mean it. Those eyes were too honest to be lying.

“Me too,” she breathed.

She resigned herself to just the goodnight kiss. If he wanted to take things slow, she could work with that. He began to lean forward, and she closed her eyes, preparing to stand up on her toes to meet his mouth with her own. But his lips pressed into her forehead instead. She resisted the urge to stamp her foot and demand why he’d even asked her on a date. Most of her irritation melted away at the smile on his face, and his sweet dimples, but she was still confused.

“I’ll make sure you get inside,” he said. “Goodnight, Billie.”

“Goodnight,” she returned slowly. “Ethan.”

She felt so much colder when she took a step away from him. She must have looked unsure because he nodded at her, as if to confirm this was really happening, and that was all she was going to get. With one last wistful look, she turned around and went into her building, her mind awhirl with doubt about his intentions.

When she reached her flat, Tessa was still on the couch, clattering away at her laptop for her next article. She looked up when Billie came through the door.

“Tess, you’re attracted to women, right?” Billie began.

“Ach, it couldn’t be as bad as all that,” Tessa said. “You’ve had plenty of shit dates, none of those made you a wee lesbian.”

“That’s the thing, it wasn’t a shit date,” Billie explained, and she shrugged off her coat before hanging it on the rack. “It was a great date. But…I invited him up and he said no.”

“Did he at least kiss you?”

“Only on the forehead,” Billie said. “He didn’t even try to grab my ass!”

“That bastard!” Tessa cried.

Finally, Billie picked up on her sarcasm and she frowned. “I’m being serious! Why would he ask me out if he isn’t attracted to me?”

“You are dramatically overreacting,” Tessa said. “Are you so jaded you’ve forgotten what romance looks like?”

Billie blinked, taken aback. Then she shook her head stubbornly. “No, romance would have been kissing me out there in the snow. Romance would have been coming up here and giving me a bloody orgas -”

“Billie,” Tessa cut her off. “A week ago you didn’t even like the man. Now you’re upset because he wouldn’t shag you on the first date?”

“No!” Billie insisted.

“Good.”

“He wouldn’t kiss me either.”

Tessa rolled her eyes. “Fuck’s sake…”

“Ugh, I’m going to bed,” Billie groaned.

“Right, well, make sure you clean your vibrator after you use it,” Tessa said.

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