Chapter 6 #2
I round the corner at the landing at the same time as a pint-sized blonde woman appears above us. She’s wearing heels that look like they could kill a man, but she smiles warmly.
“Nora!” The woman throws her arms around Nora like she’s been away at sea.
“Hi, Sasha,” Nora says, looking happy to see her.
Suddenly, my mood jumps up. This is a new friend of Nora’s. Someone from this version of her life. I realize how desperately I need Nora to remember I’m not just the asshole who showed up all wounded on her doorstep. That I’m a fun guy. A person people like.
The woman’s eyes dance down to me. I’ve been moving slowly, but now I’m caught up, halting a couple of steps below Nora’s peachy butt.
I smile widely. “Hello.”
The woman—Sasha—smiles curiously back at me. “Nora, I think we’re in this man’s way—”
“We’re together,” I say, cheerfully. “You a friend of Nora’s?”
The woman’s eyes widen. She’s pretty, with freckles across her little nose, which has a small crook in it. She’s kind of intense though. “Are you a friend of Nora’s?”
“I hope so.”
Nora’s hand grips tight to the banister. “Sasha, meet Jude.”
“Wait, Jude-Jude?”
So she knows about me. I grin, my mood finally shifting back to my normal stasis point. Nora talked about me with her friends. “That’s me.”
“Sasha Macklin!” The bubbly woman thrusts out her hand, then sees mine are occupied. “Oh my goodness!” She lowers her voice. “I am so pleased to meet you! Nora didn’t tell me you were in town! And your little boy! I’ve heard so much about you both.”
Nora’s jaw is tight, her cheeks pink. She’s embarrassed.
I love it.
“Well, I think I’m fine now, Jude,” Nora says abruptly. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Let you know if I can fit you into my schedule.”
Game.
I bite my cheek, knowing this is a little callback to our fight. It’s fine, I deserve it.
Part of me likes this new, more assertive version of her. But I miss the silly version of her too. Nowhere is that big dimply grin she used to give me—the one I never saw her give anyone else. So if I can’t have that, I can at least play with her a little.
“I’d feel better if we saw you inside.”
Nora purses her lips. I love that, too.
Sasha goes around my other side to look at Cap’s face and presses her hand over her mouth. “He’s so precious,” she whispers when she comes back around. “God, you two must miss Nora, huh? She’s incredible, isn’t she?” She beams at Nora, who grows even pinker.
“She is,” I agree, solemnly. And we do.
Nora’s eyes meet mine and her mouth opens slightly. Something fizzes in my guts at that. She can’t see you, dumbass.
“So,” Sasha said, her eyes going between the two of us. Clearly, she’s picked up on the tension. They land on me. “How long are you two here for?”
“Just a week.”
“Nora, you didn’t tell me!”
“Jude and Cap made a surprise visit,” Nora says before I can answer. “They’re just seeing me to the door because I lost my glasses at the library.”
Sasha’s blocking the door to the hallway.
“Oh my gosh, yes, of course,” she pulls it open. “Let’s go!”
I guess she’s joining us now. I get a little too much amusement from knowing Nora’s gritting her teeth. She doesn’t like being around people when she’s having feelings.
“Oh wow.” Sasha loops her arm through Nora’s, and this time when she looks at me, it’s with unveiled appraisal.
“There you go,” she says to Nora, pausing at the door at the end of the hall.
As Nora jams her hand in her pocket and pulls out her keys, Sasha looks back at me. “Are you two staying here?” she asks, bubbly as soda.
But before I can answer, the woman sucks up a breath. “Omigosh, you can come to my party this Saturday!” she squeals. “This is a fantastic development! Jude, I have a lot—and I mean a lot—of single girlfr—”
There’s a loud clink as Nora drops her keys on the wooden floor.
“I’ve got them,” I volunteer.
“It’s fine,” Nora says.
But I’ve already shifted Cap onto one arm and squatted down to pick them up.
“Girlfriends, huh?” I ask Sasha as I press the keys into Nora’s hand.
Nora plucks the keys from me, a little too quickly.
“Yes,” Sasha says with a coy smile. “Lots of them.
The keys crunch in Nora’s fingers.
Is she jealous? For a moment I’m too surprised to do anything. I silently add seeing her all worked up to my list of new Nora traits I deeply enjoy.
“I mean, it’ll be a bit late for Cap, but his mom did want to spend the night with him. So, yeah, I think that could work?” I return my gaze down to Nora. “Unless you have plans, Nor?”
Set.
Nora looks like she’s going to explode. “Nope,” she squeaks. “Not at all. In fact, Sasha was going to introduce me to her brother.”
Match.
Damn, didn’t see that one coming. My neck prickles with heat. “Oh yeah?” If he looks anything like his sister, he’s going to be some kind of handsome blond All-American type.
I can practically hear my sisters rolling their eyes from across the ocean. Fine, some people would say that’s me, too. Still, I don’t like it.
Sasha’s eyes are darting between the two of us. “I mean, I won’t if you two are like…a thing.”
“What?” Nora says sharply. “No! Please, introduce all your girlfriends to Jude. He could have a little fun while he’s here.”
All right. If she wants to play it like that, damn straight I’m coming to this party, and she can see how she likes it when I’m there standing between her and whatever red-blooded American or Brit who tries to come near her.
“Thank you so much for the invite, Sasha. I’m looking forward to it.” I lay on the Jude Kelly charm as thick as I can with a kid on my back. I give her the full sparkling smile, adding on a little wink for good measure.
Sasha giggles.
Nora rolls her eyes so hard I’m surprised her head doesn’t go along with them. “Sasha, do not humor him, please.”
I almost laugh. That’s why I was first drawn to Nora—why we went from being a librarian and a patron to acquaintances to best friends. She’s always been immune to my nonsense.
“Yeah,” I agree. “You really shouldn’t.”
Nora struggles with her keys once more and I shift Cap onto one arm again and reach forward, covering Nora’s hands with mine and guiding the key to the door.
We stand there a moment too long, heat dancing up my arm.
Then she pulls her hand away. “I’ve got it,” she says tightly. She turns the lock and pushes the door open.
Sasha’s eyes are on the two of us, one eyebrow up. She might be susceptible to my charm, but she’s sharp, too. “Guess you’ve got it from here. I can’t wait to see you guys!”
Nora nods. “Bye, Sasha.”
After a quick furrowed brow to me, she spins on her heel and heads back for the stairs.
“Thank you,” Nora says after her friend has disappeared. “For helping me up here. You okay to get Cap home? There’s a taxi stand right outside.”
Any hope of her inviting us in voluntarily flitters into the dim hallway light like dust. I could have pleaded exhaustion or used Cap as an excuse to crash here. But I’m not that pathetic.
“I can not go to this party if you want. But I was serious about Farrah wanting to spend the night with Cap, and I was hoping you might have wanted to hang out just the two of us anyway.”
Okay, I’m a little pathetic.
“If you weren’t doing anything,” I tack on quickly, then clear my throat. “Just to go over some of the research before I go.”
Nora stands in her doorway, looking defeated. “Let’s make a plan tomorrow, okay?”
I grin, feeling like the clouds have parted.
“No takebacksies,” I say. Then, because I can, I lean forward and peck Nora on the cheek.
Nora freezes. The last time we did that—tried to do that—I’d kissed her for real.
The way friends weren’t supposed to do. The way I wasn’t supposed to do.
I’d hated myself for that then. But now, I’m too happy about this turnaround to care.
Our faces are inches apart; so close I feel her breath on my cheek.
“Dad?” Cap shifts on my back.
I quirk a smile, my eyes on Nora’s. “Bye, Nora.”
Before she can say anything more—or change her mind—I turn and head down the hall. “Sorry, buddy. We’re going home.”
Then I carry my boy back downstairs, biting my cheek to keep from whistling a tune.