Chapter Fifteen PAISLEY
Chapter Fifteen
PAISLEY
The weekend passed, and by some miracle, Russell and I managed to politely avoid each other at the house.
I couldn't say it was entirely on purpose, but it worked out that way.
It was fine because I needed it to be that way.
I wasn't ready to face him, not after what had transpired between us.
I needed a little space to gather my composure and avoid doing something completely stupid.
Monday rolled around, and I went to work.
Everything was fine. Fine, meaning that Russell and I managed to make eye contact, and I didn't combust on the spot.
Fine, meaning that we did a training exercise and even handled a nearby call.
Everything was fine. We weren't arguing.
However, I was tense, like seriously tense, but I managed.
Fortunately, with twenty-five people on our crew, I didn't have to be close to Russell at all times.
He seemed to have put a moratorium on teasing me. I wanted him to tease me, and I missed it, and I hated that I missed it. He was a magnet, and I was steel, like that song. I kept looking at him again and again and again, and then yanking my eyes away. It was beyond annoying.
Adding to my frustration, he seemed more successful at not looking at me.
Or at least that was how it felt. One day after we returned to the station, I showered in the small locker area for the women and changed.
When I walked through the reception area, I saw Maisie chatting with Madison, who saw me immediately and waved. “Hey!”
Madison looked amazing with her hair up in a twist and a soft-looking sweater outlining her curves. She looked at Maisie. “We went to Anchorage together. I'm making friends.”
I angled over, smiling when I stopped at the circular desk where Maisie sat. “We went to Costco together. I think that's a true bonding experience,” I offered.
Maisie smiled at us. “I love Costco.”
“Who doesn’t love Costco? It’s the best,” Madison insisted firmly.
“When I moved up here from Houston, I was concerned I’d feel like I was in the middle of nowhere.
Not that I like to shop all that much, but a good grocery store is important.
The local one here is decent, but Anchorage is not even an hour away. ”
Maisie paused to take a call as I asked, “Do you miss the city?”
Madison shrugged. “Not really. Houston was all I knew before I moved up here, but honestly, I like it here more. We’ll see how I feel after winter, though. It's starting to get cold.”
Maisie ended her call, catching the tail end of Madison's comment.
“You'll be able to handle winter, I promise.
I moved up here from California. Maybe that's not as hot as Texas, but you get used to the weather.
You've got a nice jacket, so you should be set.” She gestured to Madison's fluffy down jacket.
Madison smiled. “Graham teases me. I might have overdone it with the online shopping for winter. I have three down coats. He says it's not as cold as I think.”
Maisie laughed. “It's not so bad. This part of Alaska isn't like up north, where it's dark and below zero for months. It's not dark all winter here.”
“Is that a myth?” Madison asked.
Maisie rolled her eyes. “Not entirely. The days are shorter, but the sun only goes away completely up north. Here, the sun comes up around nine and sets around four.”
The door to the back hallway opened, and Russell and Graham came walking through. Graham stopped at Madison’s side, sliding his arm around her waist. “Hey there. Give me ten minutes, and I'll be ready.”
“Ten whole minutes?” she teased.
Graham arched a brow. “Yes, you’re early.” He glanced at his watch.
“I'll chat with the girls. It's no big deal,” she offered with a slow smile.
My eyes, because of that whole magnet issue, were drawn to Russell.
For the first time in days, I caught him looking at me.
It felt as if an electrical line sparked in the air between us.
I immediately looked away, my gaze landing on Maisie, who gave me a knowing look.
A moment later, Graham and Russell had disappeared through the opposite doorway into the police station side of the building.
Maisie looked from me to Madison, just as Madison said, “Wow, that was a look.”
I stayed quiet while my cheeks flamed. Maisie chimed in with, “Agreed.”
Now I couldn't help myself. “What are you talking about?”
“The way Russell looked at you, and the way you looked at him,” Madison pointed out.
I sighed. “There was no look. There's no there there.”
“If you say so,” Maisie sing-songed.
I was relieved when a call came in for Maisie, and our conversation was cut short.