Page 70 of She's Like the Wind
Did he want us to be fuck buddies again? No, I knew he didn’t. But how did he suddenly go from not willing to commit to saying he was ready to jump in?
“He’s confusing the hell out of me,” I blurted out.
Jonah raised his wine glass. “To you, darlin’.”
I clinked my glass against his and gave him a small smile. “I’m sorry you’re caught up in this emotional crossfire.”
He let out a quiet chuckle. “Ah, it’s just a flesh wound.”
“Still, Iamsorry.” I didn’t know what I was apologizing for, but…I felt like I needed to somehow make it right with Jonah.
I felt a little like Gage when he’d been with me—Ihad told Jonah that I could only be a friend, knowing he wanted more.
“Hey, it’s fine.” Jonah leaned back in his chair. “I’m not heartbroken.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That’s a good thing, right?”
He laughed now. “Yes, darlin’, it is.ButI don’t usually get my heart broken. I may be a little like your Gage…not letting people get in too deep.”
Your Gage?
“Me too,” I confessed. “My parents died when I was young and since then…I’m careful about who I let into my life.”
“I’m honored, then, to be let in, Naomi.”
Our food arrived, and our conversation went from serious to humorous as we talked about other things.
We were halfway through our entrées when a couple who were being led to their table lit up when they saw Jonah.
“Oh my God!” the woman exclaimed.
Jonah rose and hugged her, and then shook hands with the man.
Introductions followed.
The husband and wife owned a gallery in the Warehouse District and talked about it like it was a temple they built with their blood. They knew Jonah from “that artist’s fundraiser,” then a wine tasting in Napa, then “that sushi thing with the DJ on the roof.”
They talked some more, and when it was suggested that they join us, I wished Jonah had refused. I wantedto get some food in my system and then go home soon and close my eyes. As an introvert, today had been a day with lots of interaction with people, and now I needed some quiet time.
That had never been a problem with Gage—he understood because he was like me, and we could be silent together.
“I’ve never been in your store, but now I just will have to check it out,” the woman trilled.
“I’ll be happy to find something you like.” I smiled.
As they talked, I sipped my wine, tuning out the conversation. I nodded occasionally, offering a yes or no with a smile. I let the server clear my half-eaten plate.
My appetite was shot.
These people weren’t my crowd, though Jonah fit in with them seamlessly—and he somehow managed to do just fine with Aurelie and her people. He had that skill, the ability to feel at home no matter who he was with, and make those with him feel comfortable.
He was easy, pleasant, and charming.
Buthe didn’t let people in, and I realized that I didn’t know Jonah. I may not have known a lot about Gage’s past, but I knewhim. I knew what he liked and what made him tick—while Jonah was like a character in a book, I only got the glimpses he, as the narrator, allowed me to see.
I excused myself and went to the bathroom tuckednear what used to be the school’s library, now lit with candles and a wide antique mirror framed in gold.
I leaned over the sink, staring at my reflection
