Page 76 of The Bodyguard Affair
Eric raises an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I don’t plan on making it easy for you.”
We spar for about half an hour before taking a break.
“So you and Andi, eh?” he smirks.
“I was waiting for you to bring this one up.” Damn, I hate lying to him. “Actually, I meant to thank you and Gretchen for being so cool about it. I know it’s not ideal to date someone you work with, but we’re both committed to keeping things professional.”
“Glad to hear it. And treat her well. She’s the best PA Gretchen has ever had,” he says.
“She loves working for her,” I say. Andi talks about all the latest bills, things Eric is working on. She knows everything andis so smart, which is really sexy. I almost feel too dumb to be in her presence.
“Your face just went bright red when I said her name. You must really like her.” Somehow, even that statement doesn’t do how I feel justice.
“I do.” I work down a hard swallow, finally admitting the words out loud. The truth I’ve been avoiding for weeks. I have feelings for her. Feelings that scare the shit out of me. Feelings I’m not sure I can ignore any longer, or outrun, no matter where I go in the world.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how are you planning to make it work when you leave? I know you don’t plan on extending your contract for much longer.”
“Long-distance, I guess,” I say, avoiding his stare. Just saying that phrase out loud evokes dread, even though Andi and I aren’t actually together and won’t be doing long-distance—or anything, for that matter.
He raises an eyebrow, his expression a mixture of curiosity and concern. “What’s stopping you from staying?”
“A lot of things,” I admit, searching for the right way to put it without having to lie. “But mostly, what if I give up my whole life plan, put roots down here, and it doesn’t work out?”
“That’s a possibility, sure. But if that happens, wouldn’t you be in the same position you’re in right now? You could always get a new contract and leave.”
“True.” He’s not wrong. I’d be begging Jones for a new posting anywhere but here. At the same time, I don’t know if Andi would even want me to stay. In the entire time I’ve known her, she’s never expressed wanting anything more than a temporaryfriendship, which is a far cry from a real, serious relationship. “I wish I knew how she felt.”
“You haven’t talked about it?”
“Not in so many words,” I say. That’s putting it mildly.
Eric flashes a knowing smile. “Gretchen isn’t the best with expressing how she feels, either. I’ve learned a couple things. When she tells me she doesn’t want to talk, nine times out of ten, shewantsto talk. It’s not always what she says, but what she does. How long or how tight she holds my hand. The way she used to lean in and brush her arm against mine during meetings or events.” He pauses, lost in thought. “Anyway, sorry for the ramble. I’m sure you don’t want to take relationship advice from me, of all people,” he says knowingly.
Andi has never been one for grand displays of affection. She’s generally subtle, a little shy. But I think about the way she kissed me with reckless abandon in the lake. The way she folded herself into me and clung for dear life in the forest behind the yellow house. The way she listens when I talk and effortlessly understands me like no one else does.
There’s no fucking way we’rejust friends.
“No, actually, I think that was exactly what I needed to hear.”
Chapter 32
Andi
I’m on my way to grab lunch from the kitchen when I spot Nolan power walking toward me from the end of the hallway.
“Hey!” he calls out, waving me down. If I’d seen him an hour ago, I’d have ducked into the kitchen and pretended not to hear him. Admittedly, I’ve been avoiding him the past few days, making excuses not to see him because I’m a weak individual. But since talking with Gretchen, I’m feeling bold.
Besides, my guilt triples at the mere sight of him, so earnest and adorable in his suit, which is uncharacteristically wrinkled. His hair is also mussed up and unstyled. He looks a little…disheveled. I stop, waiting for him to catch up. “Do you have a second to talk? Somewhere private?” he asks.
“Sure,” I say, nodding toward the door to the supply closet.
He follows me in. It’s just as small and crammed full of junkas it was the first time we talked in here. Only right now, it somehow feels smaller.
“What did you want to talk about?” I ask, trying to sound casual, definitely not on pins and needles, waiting with bated breath for what he has to say.
“I like you.” He blurts it out so fast, it comes out more likeIlikeyou. “I like you,” he repeats, slower, more deliberate this time.
My jaw goes slack and I stumble backward, leaning my entire body weight on the shelf behind me in order to stay upright. I think about the way he touched me at the lake, the way he’s opened his life up to me.
