Page 78 of Change My Mind
“Is that really a way to live?” Becky asked as she finished the plait.
I took a deep breath and thought carefully about my next sentence. “I’ve got no complaints about it. Is that not enough?”
“I’m not asking you to do something that makes you unhappy. But what is the harm in saying yes if he asks? It’s just a first date. The worst that happens is that you waste an evening with a man you don’t connect with. I need a snack and water break,” Becky said as she stretched her arms overhead before going to the kitchen.
“You know she means well,” Lucy said quietly as she finished the braid she was doing.
“Yeah, I know. But I wish she would focus on you before she moved on to me,” I half-teased, not needing that kind of attention on my love life. If she kept pestering, then she might start connecting dots that shouldn’t be connected.
“Ads, she has been needling away at me, and Rachel, for that matter, for years, to no avail. She’s got fresh blood now. Buckle up,” she replied as she pulled her fingers down to stretch her forearm.
I laughed half-heartedly and stood up, gratefully letting the blood return to my numb bum.
Later that night,with my hair freshly braided, we settled into our table at Vivi’s, and I saw Eli sitting in his chef blacks at a table near the bar with my cousin,Steffy.
Which was good.
Another way Steffy and I were different was that she was much more emotionally available than I could ever hope to be. That would be perfect for him.
I could get over the sour taste of jealousy that overtook me at the sight of the two of them together.
Eventually.
Forty-Nine
ADDIE
Ihadn’t had Sunday night jitters quite like this for… Well, I hadn’t had them for years. I was good at my job. I wasgreatat my job. The administrative staff had faith in me, and I knew I had a solid plan for the year. I was excited about the lectures I had planned for the semester, and I knew that my tutorials had the potential to create some provocative discussions.
But I couldn’t calm my nerves, which meant I also couldn’t sleep.
So, I was watchingHands to Myselfas quietly as possible at nearly midnight, waiting for sleep to come and take me.
“How do they keep finding people this horny?” Eli’s sleep-rough voice cut through the room, both shocking and soothing me.
“Did I wake you?” I asked instead of answering his question. Mostly because I had no answer to it. I also did not know how they consistently found people who just could not keep their hands (and mouths) to themselves.
“No, I woke up thirsty so came to get a drink,” he replied as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. I heard him rinse the glass and put it back in the cupboard before he leaned against the entrance of the kitchen. I looked at him and immediately wished I hadn’t. His hair was messy, his eyes soft, and his chest bare. He was only wearing boxers, and his legs were crossed at the ankle, which made them look delectable.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked, voice still low.
“I am that lovely combo of anxious and nervous, which is adding up to nausea. So, no, I can’t sleep.”
He nodded as he walked across to me, holding out his hand.
“Come on, you’re not going to slowly pass out on the sofa and wreck your spine before your first day.”
“And what are you proposing?” I asked, my eyes moving from his extended hand to his crotch and back again.
“I’m not proposing that. At least not tonight. Let’s go lie down, and you can ask random questions until you fall asleep.”
I turned off the TV and slipped my hand into his. His grip on me made me feel calmer as I let him pull me up and lead me towards his bedroom.
“I’ll be back in a second,” he said as he dropped my hand and disappeared into my room, returning thirty seconds later with my pillow.
I watched him walk over to his bed and switch one of the pillows out for mine. The low light from the lamp on his bedside table cast him a golden glow, creating shadows that made him look the kind of beautiful I didn’t think I could find the words for. I was still rooted to the spot where he left me when he climbed into the bed and settled into his fortress of pillows. The sound of him slapping a hand on the mattress brought me back to the room.
“Are you coming?” he asked, his voice even lower than it had been in the living room.
