Page 4 of Love on the Edge
Her gaze holds mine a second longer before she smirks. “Well then,” she says, voice teasing but curious. “If you were meant to run into me, what’s the plan now? Enlighten me.”
I chuckle, tilting my beer toward her. “Enlighten you? That might take some time. You in a rush?”
She shrugs, eyes flicking toward the crowd before settling back on me. “Not anymore.”
She laughs, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Guilty. I’m more of a keep my head down and stay focused kind of person."
“Focused on what?” I ask, actually curious now.
She hesitates, just for a second. “Work. Goals. You know, boring stuff.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What kind of goals?”
Her lips twitch like she’s debating how much to say. “Big ones.”
“Big ones?” I press, smiling. “That’s vague. Like, saving-the-world big, or personal-world-domination big?”
She laughs, shaking her head. “Somewhere in between. Let’s just say I don’t leave a lot of room for... distractions.”
I glance at the crowd, then back at her. “This doesn’t seem like the kind of place for someone avoiding distractions.”
“Exactly,” she replies, tone wry. “Like I said, my friend dragged me here. She’s convinced I need to have some semblance of a life outside of work.”
“Do you?” I ask.
“Do I what?”
“Need to have some semblance of a life?”
She hesitates, gaze flicking to her drink. “I don’t know,” she admits quietly. “Maybe.”
The honesty in her answer surprises me, and I find myself watching her more closely. She taps her fingers lightly against her cup, her mind clearly working through something.
“What about you?” she asks suddenly, shifting the attention back to me. “What’s your excuse for being here if this isn’t your thing either?”
I shrug, leaning back against the wall. “Same reason, I guess. My sister thinks I need to ‘socialize.’”
“And?” she presses, tilting her head. “Is it working?”
I glance around the room before looking back at her, smirking. “You’re standing here talking to me, so I’d say it’s working.”
She lets out a short laugh, shaking her head. “Good save.”
“Who says I’m saving anything?” I hold her gaze.
Her lips part slightly like she’s about to respond, then she just shakes her head, a small laugh escaping. It’s small, but I can’t look away, I’m completely captivated by the dark red of lips.
We stand in silence a little longer, the buzz of the party fading as I glance at her. She doesn’t seem in a rush to go back.
“So, Ethan,” she says suddenly, tilting her head. “If parties aren’t your thing, what is?”
I smirk, taking a sip of my beer. “That’s a loaded question.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Alright, let me narrow it down. What do you like to do when you’re not... here?”
I chuckle. “Work, mostly. I spend a lot of time at the garage.”
She tilts her head. “Garage?”
