Page 84 of Give Me a Reason

Frederick:

I was just trying to figure out everything wrong with your lastsentence. In what alternate universe is Anne Lee “our girl”?

Pete:

Anne is my friend, and Katie assures me that she is MORE THAN your friend.

He only wished Katie were right. He’d convinced himself that night in Bosque Verde was just pity sex. Anne was so kind that she couldn’t bear to see him suffer. He knew it hadn’t been anodioustask for her. The attraction was obviously there. She certainly didn’t fake those orgasms.

But it might not have meant anything to her other than comforting a friend. He sure as hell hoped she didn’t comfort her other friends that way… God, what the fuck was wrong with him? Scared, insecure, and jealous was not a good look for him.

Frederick glanced at the clock on the living room wall. It was far too early for a drink. He needed to get out of here. He needed to go see Anne, if only to apologize for being an asshole after making love to her. She needed to know it was him, not her. Not in a self-serving way buttruly. It was all him.

He freaked out because he was overwhelmed by his frantic need to hold on to her and to never let her go. He was terrified he might lose her no matter how hard he held on. It made him want to run away from her, which made zero sense since he wanted nothing more than to be close to her.See?It wasallhim.

He had to go see Anne. He had to explain all the messy details of how much he wanted her. He had to tell her he wanted her more than anything. But he was still terrified as fuck, so he needed to take Mommy and Daddy with him for emotional support.

Frederick:

Do you and Katie want to take Anne out with me to celebrate her amazing accomplishment?

Pete:

Katie’s texting her right now. Stand by.

Frederick literally stood by, holding his phone, as he waited for his friend’s update.

Pete:

We’re on for lunch tomorrow. She said she’ll come out to Culver City.

Pete:

The ladies will decide the time and the restaurant. I’ll keep you posted.

Frederick could hear his blood pounding in his ears. He couldn’t say what he had to say in front of Pete and Katie, but he hoped he’d be able to get Anne alone after lunch. He was glad he’d waited to speak with her in person. Texting her, or even talking to her on the phone, about what happened in Bosque Verde—what it meant to him and what he hoped it meant forthem—hadn’t felt right.

He hoped his radio silence hadn’t upset her. After all, if she’d wanted to reach out to him, she could’ve texted him just as easily. The thought had him pacing the living room in frantic circles.

Whyhadn’tshe texted him? Did she not want to talk to him? Did she want to pretend nothing had happened between them?Or did she actually think being thoroughly ravished by him wasnothing?

There was only one answer. Frederick was a catastrophic mess. He needed to get a grip and figure out a way to salvage whatever he had with Anne. And he sure as hell hoped it wasn’t friendship.

On average, there were two-hundred-eighty-four sunny days in Los Angeles per year. And this bright late-winter day was the most beautiful sunny day Frederick had ever seen. It might have something to do with the fact that the most beautiful woman he had ever seen sat at their table right next to him, with sunlight shining down on her through the window.

“Have you been to this restaurant before?” Frederick leaned closer to Anne than strictly necessary.

“No…” Her eyes met his for an electric second before she looked down at her lap, fussing with her black cloth napkin. “But Katie said she heard great things about it. And I have to confess, I read about a hundred Yelp reviews and memorized their menu. This place seems fantastic. Do you like Indian food?”

“I love Indian food.” He nodded enthusiastically, thrilled to be talking about Indian food with Anne. To be honest, he was thrilled to breathe the same air as she did—to exist beside her. “I also like the décor in here. Very chic.”

The restaurant had great ambience—a mix of industrial vibes with the whimsical. His favorite part of the décor was the modern chandelier that hung from the ceiling in the center, like happy bubbles that children blew out of their plastic wands on hot summer days. But everything paled in comparison to Anne. Once she’d walked in through the door, he hadn’t been able to look away from her.

Across the table, Pete and Katie exchanged a knowing smile before resuming their perusal of the menu. Frederick couldn’t bring himself to feel self-conscious. Under the table, he scooted his foot as close to Anne’s as possible without actually stepping on her toes. Anything to be closer to her.

“I could eat half of this menu by myself.” Katie sighed happily. “Thank God the morning sickness is gone.”

“I’m so glad you’re feeling better.” Anne reached over to squeeze Katie’s hand. Frederick felt a stab of envy, his own hand cold and lonely. “Order half of the menu if that’s what you want. It’ll be my treat.”

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