Chapter 16
“Okay, Tan the Man! He’s back on the streets!”
“If you ever call me Tan the Man again, we’re going to have serious problems, Declan.”
I’m frantically cleaning an already clean apartment because in what right mind was I thinking of inviting Daisy over? I expected her to say no, and honestly, I was hoping it would be a conversation starter. Of course, I wouldn’t mind hanging out and getting to know her better, but also…
What the fuck was I thinking?
“It’s gonna go fine, man. It’s not like this is the first time you’ve been alone with a girl,” Declan says on the other line. “What’s the worst that could happen?”I rest the phone between the crook of my shoulder and ear, pausing in the middle of my living room with a broom in my hand. I don’t know what terrible thing could happen, but the options are endless. She could hate my place or decide I’m a loser with nothing better to do than play Mario Kart on my Saturday night, but I don’t do many exciting things during weekends now that I’m back home in Boston, and I most certainly wouldn’t admit to baking pies and other pastries with my mom every other weekend.
“I don’t know, and that’s the problem.”
“It’ll go fine,” Declan reassures. “When did she say she was coming over?”
“Uh,” I pulled my phone away from my ear. It’s almost six now, and Daisy said she’d swing over around seven. “Within the next hour, maybe?”
“Maybe?”
“I don’t know, man. This was stupid, right?”
Declan chuckles at the line, and I imagine he shakes his head. “It was definitely bolder than your usual style, but I like it. It’s the new Tanner.”
I frown. My friends are seemingly happy that I’ve moved on from my ex, and of course, I am too, but I sometimes get the feeling that maybe I’d changed more than I realized when I was in my last relationship. I’ll ask him and Naomi about it someday, but I’m not sure how much I like knowing the possibility that I’d change if it weren’t for the better. I brush the thought away for now.
“Yeah, we’ll see. I don’t know what we’re supposed to talk about?” I finish sweeping up my pile before walking into my kitchen to discard the minimal dirt into the garbage. I tend to keep my apartment tidy, but something about having Daisy over makes nerves jolt through every part of my body to the point that I’m becoming restless.
“Just be yourself, Tan. She’ll love you like we all do.”
“That’s…a stretch.”
“It’ll be fine. If not, kick her out and come hang out with me.”
I chuckle and lean against my counter. “If this all goes to shit, I’ll take you up on that.”
Declan and I talk for a while longer before I wrap up the call, finish tidying up my apartment, and hop in the shower. I wrap the towel around my waist, and at the same time, my phone vibrates on the counter.
Daisy: I’m here, I think?
A small smile appears as I lean against the wall.
Tanner:Doorman in front?
Daisy: Yep.
Tanner:Walk in and dial in 517. I’ll buzz you up. Walk through the lobby, turn left for the elevators, and press button six. I’ll come get you.
Daisy: Ok
Ok? Who responds like that? I don’t have time to focus on her lack of text conversation because I’m throwing on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans and heading back into the main space, surveying everything to make sure I don’t have any last-minute clutter to pick up. Seemingly good enough, I leave my apartment and force myself to take a few calming breaths as I walk down the hall.
It’s just a hangout. Impulsive and awkward as fuck, but that’s all this is. Neither one of us has plans, and it’s not like she’s a complete stranger.
So why the fuck am I so nervous?
I round the corner at the same time the elevator opens on my floor. Daisy’s eyes are focused on everywhere else but me as she steps out. Surprised, her eyebrows flick up when she steps out as if she’s as shocked as I am that we’re standing in the same space at the same time again.
“Hi,” she says softly, nervously, and for some reason, her nervousness makes my chest constrict. It’s clear she’s uncomfortable, and suddenly my own nerves heighten.
“Hey,” I reply casually, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m this way.” I gesture towards the area I just came from, and she nods in reply, following next to me as I walk.
The awkward tension is so fucking thick I want to throw up. I don’t know how to converse with this quieter version of her, so I remain quiet until I’m nearly at my apartment.
“You find the place okay?”
“Oh, yeah,” she says in the same softness. “Hard to not know where this building is.”
I live in a luxury apartment in the modern district of Boston. At the time, it was the only available place that could get me in soon enough that I wouldn’t have to stay with my parents for more than a weekend. I don’t have the nicest place here in comparison to the penthouse lofts a floor above, mainly because I didn’t think the prices made any sense for how often I would need to be at home to make it worth it, but I liked the space.
My hand is on my door, about to push it open, when she speaks up from next to me.
“This is weird, right?”
I glance over at her and see her playing nervously with her earlobe, uncertainty written on her face. I drop my hand and face her, taking all of her in right now. Somehow, she appears smaller, like she’s curling in on herself, and I feel like a piece of shit inviting her over without thinking about how uncomfortable this may be. Declan was right when he said this was a bold move coming from me, inviting a girl over without the intent of hooking up with her, but I assumed that if Daisy originally had said yes, this would be the least stressful place to be.
I realize now that she doesn’t know me, and I’m inviting her into my home. I don’t know much about Daisy, but I’ve gathered enough in the short amount of time to know that new situations are not her forte.
“We don’t have to go inside,” I say, my voice a bit softer than normal. “We can do anything else if you aren’t comfortable.”
She regards me momentarily, eyes roaming between mine.
“But yes,” I continue. “this is weird.”
For some reason, that seems to relax her enough that her shoulders drop slightly and a chuckle to slip from her mouth. I stare at her a beat too long, lost in the sound I’d do anything to hear again, because her cheeks flush and she clears her throat.
“You’re not going to kill me if I step foot in your place? Because I have a best friend who would probably murder you in the worst ways imaginable if she couldn’t harass me about this later.”
My lips twitch, relieved that she’s seemingly back to her usual self. “I only plan to murder you in Mario Kart.”
Her pretty chocolate eyes roll so hard I wait for them to get stuck, but they only find mine again. “We’ll see about that, Mr. Moore.”
I arch a brow and choose to ignore my dick twitching in my pants, instead pushing the door open and holding it for her. She stares at me momentarily before stepping in, and do I take the opportunity to check her out as she walks past? Absolutely. Even in her black sweats, I can make out the curves of her ass, somewhat wishing I was able to truly appreciate what’s underneath while also feeling a sense of pride that she felt comfortable enough not to change into something different from this morning’s encounter.
She toes off her sneakers before stepping into the living room. As I watch her look around my apartment, seemingly surprised again, a small twinge constricts in my chest.
“This wasn’t what I expected,” she says as she twirls in a half circle, slowly dragging her eyes to mine. “But you have a nice home.”
Home. I guess that’s what this is now.
“Thanks,” I say, locking the door before stepping into the kitchen. “You thirsty? Hungry? I have…a lot of stuff.”
“A lot of stuff,” she repeats, amusement in her voice as she walks further into the living room to look at the pictures mounted on my wall. “Way to be specific.”
My face heats, but I keep my back to her. “Water’s fine,” she replies casually. “Do you have ice, though?”
“No, Daisy, I don’t have ice,” I deadpan. “Too modern for my taste.”
“A shame,” she muses, shoving her hands in sweat pockets. “Don’t tell me you’re a room temperature type of guy.”
The grin appears as my back is to her, opening a cabinet to pull a glass out to fill with ice cubes. What’s an appropriate amount of ice to put in a girl’s glass? Is it stupid to ask? Probably, so I don’t. Instead, I nearly fill it to the brim and add water before walking over to her, hoping it’s good enough. She stops admiring the photos when I’m near and thanks me before taking the glass.
“Is that too much ice?” I ask, suddenly nervous I’ve already fucked up in under five minutes of her being here. She chuckles, shaking her head as she takes a sip. The bob of her throat paints unexpected visuals of her in my head, forcing me to look at the picture of Brooke and me at the Grand Canyon.
Definite mood killer, but it works.
“It’s the perfect amount,” Daisy says. “How’d you know?”
I nod towards the photo of my sister and I. “I’ve been told that women prefer their water ice cold.”
“Unless it’s the shower,” Daisy replies casually, and I continue staring at the photos of my family on the wall to avoid getting a boner imagining what this girl looks like while she’s showering.
Fuck. That’s creepy.
I clear my throat. “Right. So, welcome to my home,” I say, gesturing around. “Make yourself comfortable.”
She looks around again before heading over to the couch. “You seem close with your family,” she observes, noticing more picture frames resting on my entertainment stand. Should I have hidden those? Does she think I’m weird for being so close to my family?
“I am,” I say, following her and sitting at the same time she does, but on different couch cushions. Can’t be too close yet, that’d be even weirder.
“That’s nice,” she says, a soft smile on her lips as she bends her legs to cross them underneath her in a criss-cross fashion. There isn’t a hint of annoyance or disappointment in her tone, which doesn’t necessarily surprise me but feels refreshing.
“It is, yeah,” I agree, leaning back and outstretching my arm behind the couch. “What about you?” I nod towards her. “You close to your family?”
Her nose crinkles as she shakes her head, and the smile falls from her face, the curls that frame her face bouncing around. “Oh, no. I’m not close with anybody from back home.”
Her tone suggests the end of that conversation. My lips thin and my brows furrow, angling my head to look at her closer, actively choosing to table the family discussion for now. “And where is home?”
“Boulder, Colorado,” she says, a wistful smile appearing back on her face. “Miss the place, but not so much the people.”
I nod in understanding. “That’s how I feel about Connecticut.”
She tilts her head and shifts to adjust her legs more comfortably under her, taking another sip of her water before leaning forward to set it on the coffee table. “Why did you move here?”
“Ah,” I lift my hand from the back of the couch to scrub it down my face. “Boston’s always been home. I moved to Connecticut with my ex-fiancé after we graduated college.”
She perks up, intrigued, but doesn’t ask like I expected her to. She relaxes again after a moment, placing her hands in her lap, and stares at me with a curiosity that makes nerves flicker through my stomach. I’m used to people asking one hundred questions about why my relationship didn’t work out—anticipating the judgment, but she doesn’t seem to care. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t push or show a visible reaction besides the normal surprise, but either way, it makes some of the pressure lift from my chest.
“Well,” Daisy says after a moment of uncomfortable silence that could very well be my own nerves. “I’m sorry that it didn’t work out.”
I shrug. “Don’t be. Sucked at first but it was a while ago now. I don’t regret the decision.”
Her eyebrows raise. “You don’t?”
“Nah,” I shake my head, adjusting to sit forward and rest my elbows on my knees. “But we can save that conversation for another day, assuming your ego isn’t too bruised by the time you leave tonight.”
Her eyes narrow. “I’m not sure I’ll be the one with the bruised ego, but if that’s what you need to say to convince yourself you’ll beat me…”
I grin. “Are you saying you’re better than me at Mario Kart?”
“I know so,” she replies confidently.
“Bring it on, Daisy Girl. Bring it on.”