Page 4 of Come Back to Bed
“So you’re a lawyer?”
“Uh huh.”
“Dolly didn’t tell me much about you, other than your name and your esquireship. Is that what it’s called? An esquireship?”
“Nope.”
Two more delightful flights of stairs to go!
“Anyway, there are eight units in the building, two on each floor. There’s a laundry room in the basement. It’s a pretty quiet building, everyone’s nice but keeps to themselves. Old people, working people, blah blah blah, you won’t be here long enough to get to know them anyway. Mrs. Benson on the third floor has a poodle but that’s the only other dog in the building. I occasionally hear him barking, but not much.” I lower my voice before continuing: “Mrs. Benson is so sweet, but she has these dinner parties that are a total disaster, you know, she tries to have the kind of Upper West Side intellectual dinner parties you see in movies, but her friends and family just get drunk and argue with each other. So, if she corners you and invites you—well, you’ve been warned.”
“Thanks.”
“What else? I watered Dolly’s plants on the weekend, so if you could water them on Sunday that would be great. The water pressure in the showers here are pretty good, but never quite as hot as I’d like.”
One more floor!
“Dolly said you’ll probably be out and about most of the time.”
“She did?”
Gasp!A response!
“She said you’re usually either at work or out on the town.”
“Usually, but I don’t have a dog-walker in this neighborhood yet, so I’ll have to come home more.”
“Oh right. Where are you moving from?”
“SoHo.”
“Oh yeah? I’m in SoHo a lot. My boss is in Tribeca, so I’m downtown most of the time. Do you work downtown?”
“Yes.”
“Really—that’s so interesting—tell me more!”
He doesn’t tell me more. I didn’t expect him to. I finally glance back at him, and see something that I don’t expect at all—he’s smiling. He looks totally amused.
I am so startled by the complete transformation of his face, that I lose my balance. I swipe at the air, blurt out about five swear words and feel myself falling backwards in slow-motion. And then I’m leaning back into Matt McGovern’s strong sturdy body. He has taken a step up and calmly wrapped his arm around my waist, one leg firmly set to the side of mine to keep me in place. He’s still holding onto Daisy’s leash and seems to be in no danger of losing his balance himself.
“I got you,” he says, in a deep quiet voice that actually does make me feel safe.
Until I look up and see him staring down at me with those eyes that aren’t black as coal so much as they’re dark chocolate, but I’m the one who’s melting.
I grab onto the handrail and pull myself upright and steady. “Thanks,” I say. “I just lost my balance.”
“I know.”
“I mean, I’m usually pretty good at walking up stairs.”
“I hear you get used to it.”
“It’s just this stupid dress is so tight. I’m definitely sending it back.”
“Shame.”
“Aaaand fourth floor—ladies’ lingerie!” Oh God. I’ve gone from being the kooky lady who falls backwards to the old guy who makes dumb jokes in elevators. I must be having an allergic reaction to his pheromones. That’s a thing, right?
