Page 66 of Best Frenemies

“Are you sure?” she questions, and I answer by cutting the engine, popping the trunk, and hopping out of the driver’s side door.

Katy feels like she’s putting me out by having me drop off the rental car by myself, but after twelve hours on the road, she really needs to get settled, rest her foot, and get ready for the day tomorrow without the extra activity.

I’m used to next to no sleep, and I’ve got the stark advantage of being fully ambulatory.

I make quick work of her luggage, and she meets me on the sidewalk, using one of her crutches to help keep the weight off her injured foot.

“Why do you keep using only one crutch? Pretty sure you’re still supposed to be using two,” I comment, and she shrugs me off.

“It’s fine, Mack. I’m barely even putting weight on my foot.”

She reaches for the handle of the bag in my hand, but I pull it back, adjust her purse on my shoulder, and take her loose crutch into my other hand. I head for the front door of her building, looking back to check on her, only to find she hasn’t moved a step.

“What are you doing?” she asks, staring at the luggage in my arms.

“I’m helping you inside.”

“I can get it,” she snaps back. “Trust me, you’ve already done way too much for me.”

“Woman, I swear, you need to just let people help you sometimes,” I say through a teasing smile. “You’re not putting me out. I want to help you, okay?”

“Fine,” she grumbles. “But you’re only helping me to the elevator.”

I ignore that comment and jog ahead of her so I can hold open the door to her building. Thankfully, she doesn’t hassle me about that and moves toward the elevator.

I follow her lead, and when the cart arrives, I don’t hesitate to step right inside with her, all her belongings still in tow.

“Mack,”she chastises, and I just grin.

“You know, the more aggravation you give me about helping you, the more time I’m going to be parked illegally. It’d be a real bitch to have that rental get towed.”

She huffs out a breath and hits the button to her floor.

Seven flights up, and the elevator dings its arrival. Katy hobbles out on one crutch, and I follow her the short walk to her apartment door.

She reaches into the purse that’s hanging on my shoulder to get her keys and unlocks her door without much issue.

I step into her apartment but stop in the entryway and set down her belongings.

“So…uh…thank you,” she says, turning back toward me and tossing her keys down onto the table by the door.

“You gotta stop thanking me,” I tell her with a smile. “I’m always happy to help.”

“So…” She pauses and glances down at the floor. “This was…an interesting vacation.” Her eyes are on their way back to mine, I can tell, but they’re moving really fucking slowly.

“Definitely unexpected.”

“And tomorrow…we’re back to work.”

I smile down at her. “That we are.”

“Back to being…coworkers.”

I furrow my brow. “What are you trying to say?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “I guess…I’m just saying that while what happened in Florida and stuff was fun, it can’t happen again, you know? We work together.”

Ah, I see. So, when she was speaking in the past tense at the hotel this morning,thisis what she meant.

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