Page 30 of More Than Nothing
This time more than a couple of minutes went by before Elenie began typing. The message bubble appeared and disappeared several times, while Roman fidgeted like a child at a church wedding. He told himself he needed to question her about the assault. He had an official duty of care to explore the matter further. That’s why he’d fixed this up with Otto. The old man was concerned about her. Roman was concerned about her.
He expected an excuse but yet again she surprised him.
Elenie:
Sounds good. What time?
Duty aside, it was disconcerting how much her acceptance eased the tightness in his chest.
Chapter 15
Elenie
They swapped slices of pizza, laden with multiple toppings, until the night began to draw in and Otto flipped on the outside lights.
Elenie’s eyes were drawn again and again to Roman as he sat on the deck, leaning up against the handrail. She didn’t even know when he’d found the time to bond with her old friend to the point that they were all here, sharing food. But it felt so good to find this bolt hole for the evening, she refused to question it. She’d let it ride and pretend that these relaxed moments, eating pizza with a police chief, were ordinary rather than exceptional.
Always gorgeous in his uniform, Roman was even more appealing in casual clothes. His well-worn jeans and navy t-shirt made her mouth dry. His tousled hair lay a touch messy, brushing his collar, as if he hadn’t thought to smooth it after tugging his top over his head. It added to his charm rather than detracting from it. Her eyes snagged too often on his legs, his chest, his smile, and she had to keep dragging them away.
Otto waved yet another piece of pizza in her direction. “Just two left and I am done. Don’t leave me any leftovers—I’m too old to find cold pizza appealing in the morning!”
Elenie laughed and took the slice from his hand. She hadn’t eaten so well in a long time; the pizza was spicy and satisfying. As long as she took small bites and left the crusts, it didn’t hurt her mouth too much. Roman leaned over to pluck the last piece from the box on the deck. He cupped a hand underneath to catch any falling debris.
“So good,” he mumbled around a mouthful, his head resting against the wooden post at his back. Inky eyes twinkled in the dusk. “No one makes a chicken Florentine pizza like Jerry’s. It tastes of home.”
Elenie curled up on the comfy, padded cushions of an outside wicker chair, Otto nearby on the right-hand side of a small bench, one leg crossed neatly over the other. Low music drifted out through the open back door from a radio inside the house. The men had drained a beer each while Elenie chose to pop the top of a can of Coke.
Otto’s house was small and charming. It was the perfect place to meet, tucked away at the end of a small no-through road in a quiet part of town. No danger of anyone passing by. She’d taken pains to evaluate the safety of this get-together; she had a feeling Roman had done the same.
“I don’t know about you two, but a coffee would hit the spot.” Otto stopped Elenie from jumping up with his hand. “You stay there. I could do with a leg stretch. I’ve sat still long enough.” He moved stiffly to the doorway. “Coffee for three? Or can I get you anything else?”
“I’d love a coffee, please.”
“Could I have a hot tea instead, if you have it?” Roman lifted an eyebrow. “With milk and sugar. I’m not much of a coffee drinker.”
“Not a problem, son.” Dropping a blanket in Elenie’s lap as he passed, Otto disappeared inside. They could hear his slow andsteady movements in the kitchen as he opened cupboards and ran water to put on the stove.
Elenie pulled the woolen softness around her legs and snuggled in. The silence felt different when it was just Roman and her in the soft light. She knew he wanted some answers and the time to avoid them was running out. Her nerves began to vibrate.
“I can hear you thinking from over here.” Roman’s voice was low.
A tiny huff of amusement left her lips of its own accord. “Not me. I’m a blank.” She turned her head to find him watching her. “You must be tuning in to someone else who isn’t in a pizza coma.”
“When are you seeing Caitlyn and Summer next?” The innocuous question was a relief.
“We said we might meet up for coffee soon.” Elenie was still struck with the novelty of having dates in her social diary.
“They’re nice girls.”
“Yes. Very.” There was a brief pause. “So, you’re a twin, huh?”
“I am.” She heard the smile in his voice.
“In Nigeria, they think twins are special children from God.”
Roman chuckled. “My mom might beg to differ. We were little nightmares.”
Otto brought two mugs out to the deck and asked if they minded him drinking his inside, in front of a favorite quiz show. He urged them to stay put and relax on the deck. “My bones begin to ache if I get too chilled. My couch and the television are calling me now, but please stop a while if you’re happy to.”
