Page 8 of Dirty Desires
The man was big and bulky. His dark hair was cut short. I didn’t really see him as Nina’s type. But I guessed he had to be if they were living together.
All of my newfound confidence and determination about trying to take things further with Nina crashed into the pit of my stomach. I’d thought we’d be on the same page about this little weekend getaway, but obviously we weren’t if she was with someone else.
Maybe they had an open relationship. Or maybe she just wanted to stay friends. Whatever it was, I was feeling mighty jealous.
A door opened, and Nina came out of the bathroom, running her hands over her dress. Lilac lace covered a purple silk short sundress, and she had no shoes on. “Ashton, you didn’t have to come up to get me.”
“I didn’t mind doing it.” I jerked my head toward the man who stood in the kitchen, looking inside the fridge. “And who’s he?”
“Kyle?” she asked.
I nodded. “And what’s he to you?” It came out sounding much gruffer than I’d have liked, but I couldn’t stop myself.
“My roommate,” she said, looking at me like I had mush for brains—and I couldn’t blame her in that moment—before walking to her bedroom. “Let me grab my bag.”
I looked at Kyle, and he grinned at me as he raised his dark brows. “I had to give you the business, dude.”
With a shrug, I said, “Did you?”
Nina came out with her bag in hand and I immediately took it from her. “You don’t have to …”
“I want to,” I told her as we headed to the door.
The elevator wasn’t far from her door, and it was nearly full of people when the doors opened for us. She and I didn’t say so much as one word all the way down. Then we walked out of the building, still not saying a thing.
Was this how the weekend would be, the two of us together in awkward silence?
The driver put her bag in the back and we got into the car. There were three bench-type seats, one along the back, and the other two on each side. Duke and Lila sat on one side, Julia and Artimus sat on the back seat. That left the other seat free, and Nina and I took it.
Lila leaned forward, two beers in her hands. “Here ya go.”
We both took the drinks she offered, and I couldn’t help but notice how we were both quick to take sips. It seemed she was as nervous as I was. And I didn’t like that.
I always tried to make everyone around me feel comfortable. So, my nerves took a backseat as I focused on making Nina feel relaxed. Sitting back, I laid my arm on the back of the seat behind her. “So, besides that guy, who else lives in that apartment with you?”
“Sandy. It’s just us three—Kyle, Sandy, and me.” She took another drink as she sat back and got comfortable, which was a relief to see. “We like having Kyle living there. He’s like our guard dog.”
“I didn’t know you had a male roomie, Nina,” Lila said, looking a little confused. “What else have you been keeping a secret from us, your best friends?”
Nina laughed, the sound tickling my ears and making me smile. “I didn’t think it was a secret. I don’t recall anyone ever asking me about my roommates, so the particulars on that subject never came up.”
I took the opportunity to learn more about her life. “So, tell us about the people you live with.”
She turned her head to look at me. “Really? That’s kind of boring.”
“Not to me, it’s not.” I moved my hand to rest on her shoulder. “I want to know about your life outside of work.”
With a shrug, she went on, “Sandy is a couple of years older than I am. I hope I’m a bit more settled down at 25 than she is. She’s quite the party animal. Kyle is a thirty-something divorcee with a young son he gets every other weekend. Kyle doesn’t go out much; he’s kind of reclusive since the divorce. He caught his wife cheating and doesn’t trust himself to pick the right kind of woman.”
“He’s got a kid, huh?” I felt kind of bad for the guy then. And I found myself wondering what would have happened to me if Natalia and I had already had a child when she died. Would things have been different with me? Would I have dealt with things differently if I had a child to care for?
Nina’s hand on my leg stole my thoughts, and I looked down at it as it rested on my thigh. “His situation is different than yours, Ashton. Don’t try to compare them.”
How did she know what I was thinking?
I shook my head as I looked at her. “Can you read my mind or something?”
Lila laughed. “Your face told all of us what you were thinking. You’re kind of an open book—when you don’t realize that anyone is looking at you, that is.”
