Chapter 20
Does she like him? No.
Does she want to sleep with him? Yes.
Her thoughts inevitably drift back to him.
A few minutes ago, she was ready and willing to enjoy the chemistry between them, consequences be damned.
It’s not like her heart would have been involved in the transaction.
He could have her body, but she’s smart enough to know he isn’t the type of man to give more to.
That kiss, though . . . how did he do that?
With such seemingly little effort, he set her ablaze. And then he rejected her.
She goes on readying herself for bed. As she catches her reflection in her bathroom mirror, she studies the puffy skin around her eyes. She’s cried too much for him. Logically, if her heart isn’t at least a little involved, then what’s with the tears? No, it’s only the shock of it all.
With her nightly routine complete, she tucks herself into bed.
Then she snatches her device off the nightstand and promptly makes a Refresh appointment for half past ten tomorrow.
She should probably hit the Sports Simulation Center for some exercise, too.
If she wakes up an hour earlier, she can squeeze in a full match.
She messages Oro1, who she hasn’t seen since her birthday, then books a court.
Then she needs to get some work done. Hopefully, James will want to continue learning about her world, because there are dozens of climate reports and open task orders in her inbox to sort through.
And this time of year, the atmosphere always gets shifty.
The predictions are harder, and getting the exact calculations correct, especially for the big air interchanges like the SAT garages, is critical.
Lives depend on the accuracy of her work.
That’s what she will do. Focus on her self-care, her FRIENDS, and the important contribution she makes to the safety and well-being of the people in her sector. That leaves no space for the man in the other room.
As her worries melt away, she feels better. Lighter. She drifts off running soothing air volume transfer calculations over in her mind.