Page 130 of Lost Track

She went inside and he stayed in the doorway, debating whether he wanted to die in the loft or if he had a better chance at survival in the hall.

She stepped around the corner and waved at him impatiently.

Okay.

Time to be brave.

He closed the door behind him and then joined Kara in the kitchen. She puttered around, filling a kettle with water, plugging it in, turning it on, getting mugs out. Dave slid onto what he’d begun to think of as “his” stool at the island.

“Were you at work?” he asked, uncomfortable with the silence.

She glanced at him over her shoulder. Friendly was not how he’d describe her expression. “Yes. At Geekeasy. I have tomorrow off though.”

“Don’t you also nanny?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound like an asshole.

Hefeltlike an asshole.

And a little like a stalker.

“Yes. I nanny on the weekdays. So what was your plan, homeboy? Were you gonna sleep in the hallway and hope she didn’t trip over you in the morning?” She moved the cups to the island.

“I didn’t have a plan. I just missed her.” He shook his head. That sounded stupid even to him.

“You don’t think ahead too far, huh?” she said rather than asked. She brought the kettle over and poured water into the cups. She set the kettle down on the countertop and tipped her head to the side, studying him.

“No.” He huffed a humorless laugh. “My brain is like three very-eager-to-help eight-year-olds. It’s a lot of ideas and enthusiasm. But my intentions are good.”

“Whatdoyou want from this thing with her?”

Good question. His gaze drifted away and he lost focus. There was so much to cover with what he wanted. And what heshouldwant and what hecouldwant.

She patted the butcherblock in front of him, getting his attention. “I can tell this is going to be a long chat. I’m going to change my clothes and we’ll sit on the couch.”

She padded down the hall and he brought his steaming cup of tea with him to the purple velvet sectional.

A purple couch.

Dark purple. Almost black.

And velvet.

He took a seat and rubbed the fabric with his free hand.

She even had cool furniture.

He played with the string of the tea bag as he waited for Kara to come back. This might be his first cup of tea ever. Was he supposed to leave the tea bag in this long?

Kara came back, her makeup gone, her hair in a topknot, wearing an oversized Yankees baseball tee and pajama pants. She grabbed her tea and joined him.

She curled into the opposite corner of the couch and faced him.

“I’m gonna be straight with you,” she began, keeping her voice hushed. “When you first started coming around, I was hella suspicious. But Sabine was adamant that you weren’t trying to get in her pants, so I didn’t chase you away.”

Dave smirked into his tea.

“But now you’re here all the time. And she likes you.”

His eyes came up sharply.

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