Page 69 of An Engagement for Erica

“I’d like tonight to be about us,” he said. “Is that so horrible?”

“No,” she said. “But you can’t put off the work either.”

He sighed. “Fine,” he said. “Let’s talk and eat. Then when dinner is done, we are going to make out.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

They opened the pizza box and each grabbed a slice of sausage and cheese, took a bite and chewed.

“I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” he said.

“The same. I try not to skip too many meals anymore.”

“I’m glad you said something,” he said. He didn’t want her to be afraid to speak up. Not that he thought she’d have that problem in the past.

“I will when it comes to food,” she said.

“Or your health,” he said.

“It’s kind of the same thing for me.”

They each had a slice of pizza standing in his kitchen. He opened his beer and handed her a water.

“Not really fancy of me,” he said.

“Not everything needs to be,” she said. “Sometimes this is better.”

He was in jeans and a button-down shirt with shoes. Since he’d been at the hospital today with an appointment for his grandfather, he hadn’t really dressed as he normally did.

She was still dressed from work when she could have stopped home and changed.

“How come you didn’t change before you stopped here?”

“Harmony is home.”

He processed that. “She has no idea we are dating?”

He didn’t want to be hurt over that.

“I’m trying to figure out what to say.”

“It’s not that hard,” he said. “She knows about my grandfather. You told me that.”

“She does.”

“So what is keeping you from saying something?”

Was it not meaning the same to her as it was him?

He wanted to know that before he let himself fall anymore.

If it was even possible to stop it at this point.

You could only hold a boulder back gaining momentum down a mountain for so long.

“I’m not sure,” she said.

“Are you still fearful this is going to end fast for some reason?”

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