Page 46 of Keeper
I know it was super unlikely—and that’s why I wouldn’t even begin to let it enter my thought process. But what if I dropped out of school, moved in with Marta, and bumped into Tanner again? We’d be living on the same street. It seemed more than likely that we might run into each other again. What if we hit it off?? What if we started seeing each other? Was that possible or was I being nuts?
The second it crossed my mind, though, I nipped that thought in the bud.
Nope. Don’t even go there, Ainsley.
***
I made it back to Marta’s in the early evening.She answered the door in a bath towel, her skin still red from a hot shower.
“There you are!” she said.
I looked down the hall. “Are the movers done?”
“Yeah, they’re done. She’s got one more box in there to pick up, then she’s out of my life forever. Thank God.” Marta gestured for me to follow her to her bedroom. “Anyway, how was your walk?”
“So nice,” I said as I followed her. “It’s beautiful out. I walked all over for hours.”
“You were gone so long,” she said with a devious glitter in her eye. “I was starting to worry you’d gotten lost and might end up at that guy’s place again.”
“You wish,” I said.
“No,youwish,” she teased as she brazenly dropped her bath towel to the floor in front of me. She was the type that had no qualms about getting naked around friends.
“Yeah, yeah,” I chuckled, averting my eyes.
“C’mon, Ainsley, admit it,” she said as she hunted through her underwear drawer. “You went by his place, didn’t you?”
“Imighthave happened to walk past his building,” I said, pretending as if there were any doubt about it.
She squealed as she stepped into a pair of panties. “I knew it! Did you see him?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I literally just walked past his place on the off chance we might bump into each other. I didn’t hang around his lobby like a weirdo.”
“Oh well. Maybe next time,” she said as she began rifling through her closet for an outfit. “When you live here, you’ll haveplentyof opportunities to bump into him.”
I chuckled. “Right?”
“So did you think anymore about my offer?” she asked.
“I did,” I said.
“And?”
“I won’t lie. It’s kinda tempting.”
“Really?!” She gasped. “I’m so glad to hear it!”
“I’m not saying yes just yet,” I said, holding up a finger. “Dropping out of school is a huge decision.”
“I know, but I don’t think you’ll regret it.” She pulled a backless mini dress with a metallic gold finish from her closet and draped it over her front. “What do you think about this one?”
“Very sexy,” I said. “Where are you going?”
“Weare going out tonight, of course,” she said as she wiggled into the dress.
I grumbled. “I don’t know, Marta. I’m still behind on sleep after last night. And after that mega walk, I’m definitely going to sleep like a baby tonight.”
“Let me treat you to dinner, at least. There’s this new restaurant and brewery I’ve been going to—it’s a sweet place. I’m friends with all the bartenders and they always hook me up. If you want to head home after dinner, that’s cool, I won’t twist your arm.”
