Page 17 of Space Junk: Houston, We Have a Hottie
I turn back to Flynn. “Uh, thanks?” He smiles again and funny things happen to my stomach. “Call me.” Crap. “Imean,call when you have an estimate on my car.”
The heat is getting to me. That is the only excuse I’ll accept for my moronic behavior.
In answer, Flynn steps closer. He places his hands on my shoulders, leans down and kisses me.
Kisses. Me.
It is light. Barely there. A whisper, really. I can almost pretend it didn’t happen. Almost.
“Yeah, I’ll call you.”
And then he gets in his car and growls out of the parking lot.
* * *
The short rideto MCC is quiet. Ian must be worried about the ISS. I should be too, but I’m really thinking about that kiss. I can still feel the whisper of him on my lips. Why would he do that? Wait, what about Rose? True, the girl has been nothing but trouble, but I like her, and I let her boyfriend kiss me. Guilt has me trying to focus back on the recent EVA.
“It’ll be okay, Ian, we’ll fix the main computer. I’m sure we can bypass the main cable, or even replace it with another onboard.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The corrosion Jules’ EVA uncovered.” I take in his tense jaw. “Isn’t that why you’re upset?”
“No, Jackie. That is not why I am upset. It should be why I am upset. But it isn’t.”
“Is it because I asked you to come get me? I’m really sorry, it’s just that—”
“Really?”
Okay, now I’m getting a little mad—again. Ian seems to be projecting his bad mood onto me.
All this anger is disconcerting. I’m not an angry person. In fact, I rarely raise my voice. I don’t often curse. I’m rational. Logical. But ever since I stood in a space-race era bungalow and had my butt erroneously handed to me by a drool-worthy mechanic, my anger seems to be set to a constant simmer.
“Then why are you giving me the stink eye?” I huff, too late realizing that crossing my arms after I ask makes me look like a child having a tantrum.
His lips twitch. “Stink eye?”
“Yes.” I face front and lower my arms as he pulls into the MCC lot. “I don’t like it.”
A long sigh escapes his mouth before he switches off the ignition with a button. A button ignition. That is so cool. Maybe my new car, which is inevitably in my near future, will have a button starter. But Ian’s doesn’t growl like that GTO. In fact, it is oddly silent. Which makes Ian’s inspection of me now all the more uncomfortable.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Jackie.”
Startled with Ian’s thought process, I answer, “You too. I mean, man. Beautiful man.” I feel my brow furrow. Can a man be beautiful?
Ian laughs.
I smile, feeling some of the tension dissolve. “What do our aesthetics have to do with the EVA failure?”
Still smiling, Ian shakes his head. “Know what? Never mind. Just be careful, okay?”
Huh. I usually don’t do well with implications, but evidence might suggest Ian is referring to Flynn and not the EVA when he says ‘be careful.’ I guess, if I look at this logically, it makes sense, if what Jules said about Ian wanting to ask me out is true. I’m not sure how I feel about that. It isn’t that Ian isn’t attractive. He is. Very. As one may deduce from my previous Ralph Lauren model comment.
But I’ve gotten involved with someone I worked with before. It didn’t end well. And even with all of Ian’s handsomeness not a foot away from me, I’m still thinking about that next-to-nothing kiss from a guy I’d been so sure didn’t like me.
“Sure thing,” I say, as it seems I need to say something to get us past… whatever this is.
Ian rolls his eyes. “Let’s just get to the Flight Investigation Teams meeting.”
