day...and so had he. She’d wondered if he was trying to avoid her, too. Neither of them admitted it, and he probably felt as dumb as she did. As far as he was concerned, they were old neighbors for heaven’s sake, there should be no reason they couldn’t chat comfortably.
Well, except for the part that he’d fingered her to an orgasm and she’d sucked his big, hard cock as if it was the world’s tastiest peppermint stick. But he didn’t know that.
Thankfully, on Saturday she had a break. She wouldn’t have to spend another morning pretending to seek nothing but long-standing friendship for a guy whose body filled her fantasies and whose mouth made her weak in the knees—and who would hate her guts when he found out the truth.
She slept in that morning, but her internal clock wouldn’t let her stay asleep any later than nine. Getting up, she deliberately bounced the springs of her bed, and stepped a little heavier on her hardwood floors. Now that she was aware Florence was downstairs listening, she felt the need to put up a brave, false front. Hell, did the entire building really have to discuss her sex life...or lack thereof? Oh, that moment had been embarrassing. Bless Chaz for knowing exactly what to do to get her past her immediate humiliation by making her laugh.
Chaz the savior, Chaz the sweetheart, Chaz the good guy. How could she ever have considered him Chaz the loser? She must have been the one with rocks in her head.
Needing to get completely out of the neighborhood today, she was grateful for another weekend of unseasonably warm weather. It wasn’t quite as nice as last weekend had been, when she hadn’t even required a jacket. Still, it was pleasant enough for some outdoor activities, and she knew how she would spend her afternoon.
In good weather, some of her coworkers and other city residents got together for kickball games near the Washington Monument every other weekend. A coworker had left her a message last night, saying today would be the last game of the year, and urging her to come. Wanting the company and the exercise, and needing the distraction, she’d agreed. She knew better than to ask her two closest friends, Viv and Amelia, to join in. Viv’s only physical activity was having sex, and Amelia always worked at her craft shop on Saturdays. Still, it should be fun to work off some energy with some newer friends.
Donning athletic clothes and her sneakers, she headed outside. Turning right would take her down to the Metro station, but would also send her right past Chaz’s front door. He was probably busy, almost certainly wouldn’t be looking out the window, and, even if he did, and if he saw her, he definitely wouldn’t come out to talk to her. He probably felt stalked after their daily interactions during the work week.
But...she turned left anyway. She was taking the long way around, adding a couple of blocks to her walk, but it was worth it, if only for her peace of mind.
“Tell me the truth, are you following me or did you plant a tracking device in my jacket?”
Shocked when she heard a familiar voice, she looked to the entrance of a small cafe on the corner, seeing a very familiar man emerging from within.
“Chaz?”
“Hello, Lulu.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I just came out to grab a late breakfast. What are you doing here?”
“I’m on my way to the station.”
His brow furrowed in confusion and he pointed back the way she’d come. “The station’s that way.”
She scrambled for a suitable retort. “I mean, well, I wanted to grab a sports drink, then I’m heading to the station.”
“Believe it or not, that’s where I’m going, too,” he said with a helpless shrug. “Where are you off to?”
“Up to the Mall for a game of kickball.”
His jaw dropped open. “Seriously?”
Sudden foreboding made her tense. “Yes. Why?”
Shaking his head slowly, he replied, “Well, I’m going to the same place, for the same reason.”
Lulu’s stomach churned. This wasn’t going to be the quick hello-and-goodbye she’d envisioned. “Really?”
“Yep. I’m in an informal league. We play softball in the spring when a lot of people are around. It’s more laid-back in the fall and we play kickball for fun. I heard some people were putting together a late-season game and said I’d play.”
“Oh. I guess smart minds think alike. I played a few times earlier in the fall, and got asked to come today, too.”
Of course, Chaz hadn’t been at those previous games, since he’d been out of the country. She cursed her luck, wanting nothing more than to escape him before she did something stupid, like ask, “Hey, still searching in vain for a redhead with an ass you wanted to nibble on?”
She didn’t, of course, and mentally slapped herself for even imagining him using that beautiful mouth on any sensitive part of her anatomy. She’d had enough wet dreams over the man this past week, not that any of them could compare to the real moments they’d shared in that ATM vestibule.
They were both silent for a moment, then Chaz said, “So, want to go up to the Mall together?”
Always the nice guy. He’d probably rather be anywhere else, with anyone else. But since she couldn’t come up with a logical reason to decline, she merely nodded.
“I’ll wait here if you want to go inside and grab a drink.”
Again, she couldn’t think of any way to refuse. Nodding, she stepped into the café, which sold bottled drinks, and grabbed the first one she could reach. She paid, carried it back outside, smiled and said, “Okay, ready to go?”
“That’s not a sports drink.”
She glanced at the bottle in her hand and realized she’d picked up a container of milk. Good grief, that was the last thing she needed to drink before running around playing a physical game.
Especially since she hated milk.
“Aren’t you going to drink up?” he asked, a sparkle of mischief in his eye.
Damn it, Chaz knew she hated milk. He’d badgered her often enough about the fact that she liked it over cereal, but wouldn’t drink a glass unless she plugged her nose, and she still gagged as it went down.
“No, uh, I think I’ll save it for later.”
“Don’t wait too long, it might curdle.”
Yeah, so might her stomach if she tried to drink the stuff.
As they walked to the station, they passed some people with faces that were becoming familiar to her. Dupont Circle was a small part of a big city, and there was a strong sense of community here.
Chaz was friendly to everyone they passed, several of whom appeared to know him. She noted a lot of women gave him appreciative looks, and she suddenly found herself stepping a little closer to him on the cobbled walkway. Close enough that their legs brushed. That faint contact was all it took to remind her of the erotic moments they’d shared the weekend before, and she quickly stepped
