10. Slippery Slope
10
SLIPPERY SLOPE
“ G ot any plans for the weekend?” Coy asked, Friday after work, a month later.
Angel was still typing away, but then she shut her laptop down.
“Nope,” she said. “Just going to go home and relax, do chores, maybe pick up some candy for trick or treating on Thursday. I have no idea if anyone will come to my place or not, but I want to be prepared.”
“I get a lot of kids,” he said.
“I’m sure you do. Even though you’re up the hill some.”
“I’ve got the house decorated well and I sit on the front porch to hand it out.”
“That’s sweet,” she said. “I didn’t know you liked the holiday.”
“I like Halloween,” he said. “Maybe it goes with all the pranks I tried to pull on my brothers and this time of year I could get away with more things.”
She laughed. “That was the excuse you gave to your mother when you got in trouble?”
“I didn’t get in trouble as much as you might think,” he said. “My brothers always started it first so my mother gave me a long rope.”
At least he thought that was the case. Probably part of the reason his brothers busted on him more and called him the favorite child.
“I didn’t do much to get back with Spencer. I know he was protective of me and all but it’s annoying.”
Coy didn’t want to bring up the fact that Spencer called him weekly to get updates on Angel.
Even asked if she’d gotten out to do anything or only worked.
He didn’t realize Spencer wanted him to be an activities coordinator now too.
Not that he would mind, but it was getting harder and harder for him to look at Angel any other way than someone he was attracted to.
It was a slippery slope he was trying to navigate.
He wanted her to feel comfortable on the island and not be overworked.
He could put his ever-growing confusing feelings aside for her comfort.
“I’m sure it is annoying,” he said. “Has he been on your case here?”
“Nothing more than I shouldn’t be working that hard. Like he’s one to talk. It’s just hard to go out and do things. I haven’t made a lot of friends and I know that sounds horrible. The only people I see outside of work are in the gym and no one that I’ve struck up more than a short conversation with.”
“Are any guys bothering you in the gym?” he asked.
“No,” she said. “I go early before work and most aren’t there then. I think the guys go at night after work which is why I’m avoiding it.”
“Since we both have no life other than work, if you’re not doing anything, how about a pizza and movie at my place? I’ve got this awesome theater room in the basement and I don’t like being the loser to go down there alone.”
“What movie?” she asked.
“Your choice,” he said. “We can see what is recently out. I’m pretty open to most things.”
He hoped this came off as just a friendly invitation so that she wasn’t home alone.
There was part of him that didn’t want her overworked and decided this was too much for her on the island.
She’d been here about two months now and if she was saying she didn’t have any friends, that meant she didn’t go out to eat or do anything fun.
He at least had his family to do things with. Though most of his relatives were married or in relationships, there were still plenty around his age that were single he could grab a beer with.
“Sure,” she said. “I’ve got nothing else going on. Sad, I know. I’m positive you’re asking me because of Spencer.”
“What?” he asked innocently. “What does that have to do with anything?”
She pointed her finger at him. “Caught,” she said. “I know it. He’s been on my case to get out and do things and I’m sure he’s feeding you the same in order to watch out for me.”
No reason to lie. “Guilty,” he said.
She shrugged. “I should be annoyed, but maybe I’m lonely and wouldn’t mind the company.”
Which made him feel like shit. “Then come over. Tell me what you want on your pizza and I’ll order and then we’ll figure out a movie. I don’t want you to feel like you made a bad decision moving here. I know it’s hard living on the island.”
Geez. Why did it hurt his chest when she said she was lonely?
He didn’t want to feel like a babysitter, but a small part of him did.
The other part he couldn’t put his finger on.
He knew it was no hardship to spend a few hours with her though.
When they were here at night working after everyone left, he enjoyed their banter.
They were always laughing and joking.
He felt he could be himself with her almost as much as when he was with Spencer.
That was a rare thing for him around a woman.
“Don’t think anything of it being on the island,” she said. “I had no plans on staying close to home for a job. Anywhere I went I was going to be in this position. At least living here I have close proximity to the beach. Which I do walk down to all the time.”
“That’s good to hear,” he said. “I spend a lot of time on the deck looking out at the water. When I’ve got company, I like going down on my small beach and lighting a fire.”
“Maybe we can do that after the movie,” she said. “Since you’ll have company.”
“Sure,” he said. “I’ve got wine in the house too.”
“Then I might have a glass. I’m going to run home and shower and change. What time do you want me to come over?”
They both had black scrubs on. Their tops said Bond Dental in the right top corner and their names on the left side. He gave her five of them so that she didn’t have to do laundry during the week if she didn’t want to since he knew she didn’t have in-house laundry.
“Just come over when you’re done,” he said. “We can lock up now.”
He grabbed his laptop and put it in his bag; she did the same.
They walked out together while he set the alarms. He noticed it was just past five thirty.
He was getting out much earlier than he used to since he had more time to do his notes during the day with his patients.
“I’ll see you in about thirty minutes or so,” she said. “I won’t be long.”
“That works,” he said. She lived closer to the office than he did, but still not a big deal.
He drove home and parked in his garage, then flipped the front porch light on.
He realized he hadn’t gotten her answer on the kind of pizza she wanted, but since they’d had it in the office enough, he knew what she liked and just ordered a large sausage and peppers and then grabbed some wings and a salad to go with it.
Then he hopped in the shower quickly and changed into jeans and a T-shirt, pulled on his socks, and bypassed his sneakers for now.
He’d put them on later when they went down to the beach...if they got that far.
He wouldn’t hold her to it as it would be close to nine at that point and she’d probably want to get home.
When his doorbell rang ten minutes later, he was jogging to get it.
“Hey, long time no see.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Come in. You get ready fast.”
“Should I have put more makeup on or something?” she asked. “Maybe a dress and heels?”
She was laughing and he had to fight back the image of what she might look like dressed like that. “Sure,” he said. “That would go well on the beach with the smoke from the fire.”
“Exactly,” she said. “And nice decorations.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I decorate for Halloween and Christmas. That is about it.”
On the front porch he had a skeleton sitting in the chair. It was the buddy that kept him company when he handed out candy...with a toothbrush. It was both a reminder to brush after the sugar and some advertising.
There were fake cobwebs in the corners of the porch, some pumpkins with lights in them, and a cauldron that had smoke coming out of it when it was on.
“Christmas is my favorite holiday,” she said. “I like to decorate for it too. Not sure how much I’ll get done in my apartment. I mean, I’ll be the only one to see and enjoy it.”
“So?” he said. “Do you care if anyone else sees it?”
“Not really,” she said. “Just goes to show how much of a loser I am not having anyone in my place other than family.”
“I’ll come look at it,” he said. “Then you can say someone saw it.”
He wasn’t sure why he offered that and hoped she didn’t think it was out of pity or that Spencer wanted him to do these things.
It had nothing to do with any of that and more that he was trying to find a way or time to see her.
Which was crazy since he saw her daily at work.
“I’d like that,” she said.
The doorbell went off again before they could walk out of the foyer. “Must be the pizza. You can go back and get plates if you want. If you remember where everything is.”
“I do,” she said and moved past him into the house.
He opened the door, pulled cash out of his pocket to tip the driver, but had paid for the food when he ordered it.
“Hope you’re hungry. I ordered what I know you’ve eaten before and got some wings and a salad too.”
“I’m starving,” she said. “I feel like all we do is eat quickly at work. I spend more time doing my notes while I’m eating and just getting enough in me to get through the day.”
“I feel that way too.”
She had the plates down but nothing to drink. Then she turned and went to get a bottle of water, the fizzy kind, but he held the smirk back, and he grabbed a beer. Might as well. It’s not as if he was going anywhere.
She grabbed two glasses for them each and they sat to eat.
There was an awkward silence while they chewed, and he wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t think of what to say.
In the office it was easier as people were around.
But here, it was just the two of them.
“Do you talk to Spencer a lot?” she asked.
“We text more than anything,” he said. “He’s calling me more now that you’re here.”
“The same,” she said. “He’s trying not to be intrusive, but he is. You can tell him I’m fine.”
Coy laughed and wiped his mouth when he knew sauce got on his lip. “I do tell him that.”
“But he made you feel guilty about me being alone. Maybe I should have lied and said I was going on a date or had a bunch of friends I was going clubbing with.”
He snorted. “If you did that he’d make me follow you to find out if I knew anyone and give him feedback.”
Her jaw dropped. “No way,” she said.
He squinted one eye at her and reached over to lift her jaw back in place. “Yes way. Why are you surprised about that?”
Her lips twisted adorably while her head went back and forth, her light brown ponytail swaying around her head.
“I shouldn’t be, but it’s embarrassing. It’s like you’re stepping into his place. Which I kind of knew he wanted but didn’t think it’d actually happen. My mother told him to cut it out.”
“You see he listens so well,” he said. “But don’t worry. I have no intention of being your bodyguard.”
“Thank God for that,” she said, frowning. “I don’t need or want one.”
“I didn’t say any of this to make you mad or sad. Just being honest.”
“So you didn’t ask me over here out of pity? Do you plan on telling Spencer I was here?”
“No to both,” he said.
One, he didn’t know how he felt about having Angel here with the two of them alone and didn’t know how it might come off to Spencer.
Best not to rock a canoe when he had no paddles to steady himself.
“How come?” she asked.
He wasn’t sure how to answer so kept it simple. “It’s none of his business.”
She smiled bright, one that hit her blue eyes and softened her features even more.
The thumping in his chest didn’t need to be acknowledged either.