Page 17 of The Close-Up
He leaves me with a wink and a grin that I can’t seem to stop thinking about the rest of the day.
The next morning I’m driving the two of us in my rental car to a bakery in downtown Lake Tahoe.
“Are you ready for the best egg tarts you’ve ever had in your entire life?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Simon shaking his head and grinning. “I guess.”
“Wow. Your lack of enthusiasm for food is astounding.”
“I just don’t get that excited about food. Running, on the other hand...”
I roll my eyes and he laughs.
“I’m addicted to the endorphin rush,” he says. “Sue me.”
I throw my head back in a groan, then lightly shove at him. I immediately wish I could undo it. Damn it, I need to stop touching him. One, it’s way too touchy-feely for how little time we’ve known each other. And two, it’s probably not the most professional thing in the world to shove the guy I’m documenting for work, even if it is a joke.
And even if his body is deliciously hard and firm to the touch.
I ignore that last part. “Sorry about the touching,” I mutter. I immediately purse my lips and sigh. That sounded a million times creepier out loud than in my head.
The sound of Simon laughing saves me from dying of embarrassment. When I glance over at him, he’s grinning to himself. “It’s fine. Really. I kind of figured given how handsy you were the night we met that you’re a pretty tactile person.”
“Oh. Um, yeah. I guess I am.” I let out a strangled sound as I ease to a four-way stop. “But I should probably stop now that we’re working together.”
“It’s okay. I like it.”
I take an extra second to soak in his reaction before I press the gas pedal. It’s not his tone that gives me pause. That was perfectly pleasant. Friendly, even. But the way he wagged his eyebrow as he spoke? I definitely paused at that.Thatwas the right amount of suggestive and intriguing to leave me wondering if this is just us navigating our newly formed friendship and colleague status...or something else.
Just then Simon’s phone rings. He pulls it out of his pocket and frowns slightly. “Ah, damn. It’s my mom. I forgot she wanted to FaceTime this morning.”
I gesture for him to answer it.
“Sorry, just a sec.” He answers the phone, flashing a bashful smile at the screen. “Hey, Mom. Good morning.”
“Hi, honey!” a cheery voice says. “I was just wondering what you were planning on giving your sister for her birthday next month. I was about to head to that spa she likes in Palo Alto to buy her a gift card, but if you were going to get her something similar, I’ll get her a new purse or shoes.”
“Feel free to go to the spa. I honestly haven’t thought of anything yet.”
“Oh, Simon. You always save this stuff to the last minute.” The way his brow wrinkles when his mom tsks at him makes me laugh. He looks up at me and I grimace before mouthing, “Sorry.”
“I’ve still got a few weeks left,” he says. “How’s your car running?”
“Oh it’s good, honey. Thank you again for changing the oil. You know I can take it into the shop no problem. You didn’t have to drive all the way out here to do it.”
“Mountain View isn’t that far from San Francisco when the traffic’s not bad. No sense spending money on something you can make your son do.”
“You’re so sweet. Always making sure I’m okay.”
The way Simon’s cheeks flush pink immediately after his mom’s compliment is all kinds of adorable. There’s just something about a big gruff guy going all puttylike around his mom that is insanely endearing.
Simon asks her how her shifts at the hospital are going while I pull into the downtown area of Lake Tahoe.
“Is that Simon?” a sweet elderly voice chimes in.
“Hi, Grandma,” Simon says, upping the volume of his voice. She must be hard of hearing.
“Peanut!” she sings. I mouth “aww” at him when he shakes his head at me, that bashful smile still on his face.
