eyes.
“When I was a kid I wanted a dog, but my dad is allergic. He got me fish instead.”
She looked confused, but played along. “That’s not a fair tradeoff. Fish don’t fetch or wag their tails when you get home from school.”
“Tell that to a marine biologist.”
“I see,” she said. “So your dad got you fish and what? You met a girl who also had an aquarium?”
“No. My dad got me fish and they died, surprisingly fast, even by fish standards.”
“Did you kill them?”
“I have a heart, Leila.”
“What does it beat for?”
Oh, babe...
They locked eyes. She turned away.
“Are you seriously telling me that your biggest heartache was having to flush away a few fish?”
“I’m telling you that I learned very early that I was better off alone. I’m not sure I’m the better for it. Do you understand?”
“More than you know.”
“Who broke your heart?” he asked.
“Ah!” She gave his question some thought. “My high school boyfriend stood me up for prom, and that was the end of it. I cried for one month straight. Lost ten pounds. Gained back twenty. I was a mess.”
“You’re so pretty. Who would stand you up?”
“There’s always someone prettier.”
She was quiet for a while. Then she gracefully rolled onto her bare feet, stepped into her high heels and approached him. Her dress gathered at the waist with a knot. Untie the knot and there you had it.
“I should get going,” she said.
“I’ll walk you out.”
“No, don’t.”
He questioned her silently. She fell into a pile of excuses. “It’s late. You have to lock up. I can see myself out. I’ll see you in the morning. Okay?”
It wasn’t okay. Was this how they were going to play it? Circling the well, careful not to fall in. He wasn’t cut out for the Romeo-Juliet thing. But he had to let her go. It was past midnight and his self-control was down to the barest of wires.
He stood and faced her. “What did I tell you about worrying about my feelings?”
She looked him in the eye. “It’s too late for that.”
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