Chapter Four #2
She clasped her hands together. She'd already put on gloves. Was she that cold? I wanted to reach out and take her hands in mine, warm them up. I could call Jake’s driver, but I wasn’t sure if Meredith would be cool with it, or if he’d be available.
For now, all I wanted was some alone time with this beautiful woman.
"You're not really making a case for burying that hatchet right now," she said, but we walked away from the group and down Columbus Avenue.
"I wonder if there's some big event we don't know about in the city. The traffic is insane. Is there a hockey game or something?"
"Not that I know of. And I'd know if there was any baseball happening. My dad can't stop talking about it."
"He's still a Red Sox fan?" I asked.
"Yes. How do you remember that?"
"First time I came over to your house, he was watching a game. Questioned me about my favorite team. He made it clear that any answer except the Red Sox wasn't acceptable."
Meredith grinned. "Yeah, that sounds like my dad. He's still a fan."
"How are your parents?" I asked.
Her eyes clouded for a bit. "They're okay."
I was sure that wasn't the whole story, but she didn’t add anything else, and I didn't press. I knew all about people asking questions you didn't want to answer.
"How are your brothers?" she continued when we turned onto Stuart Street.
"All good." It was my standard answer. "Jake returned to Boston a short while ago."
"He'd moved? I didn’t know he left."
"Yeah, to New York for a couple years. Grandmother is happy about having everyone home."
"How old is Jeannie now? Is she still as feisty as I remember her?" Meredith asked.
"She's ninety and has only gotten better with age," I explained, glancing around. I liked to be aware of my surroundings.
"Is she still acting?"
"No, she retired years ago. She keeps busy. Maybe too much so. We’re trying to convince her and Grandfather to get more help around the house. It’s an ongoing battle.”
“My parents are retired too. I drop by to check on them a couple times a week and bring them goodies.”
“Very thoughtful.”
I liked that she wanted to make them happy because that meant family was important to her.
I remembered Meredith’s family surprisingly well.
Her parents had an easygoing relationship that had seemed alien to me as a teenager.
Even before my parents’ marriage collapsed, they were always stiff with each other.
I thought that was normal until I went to Meredith’s house.
“So what’s Jeannie doing to keep busy these days?” she asked.
“Throwing parties and nagging us about grandkids."
"Oh my God, I can't believe it. She sounds like my parents."
"She even meddled to bring Jake and his fiancée together.
" I'd never shared that with anyone. In general, I had a strict rule about not bringing up my family.
It invited personal questions I had no intention of answering.
Everyone usually brought up the scandal one way or another, but talking to Meredith was different.
She ran her hand through her hair, pulling her coat tighter.
"Are you cold?" I asked her. “I can give you my coat too.”
"No, it's just cozier if I pull it together tighter. You were saying about Jeannie meddling?" She sounded incredulous.
"We’re all having a collective reaction that's very similar to yours."
It felt good talking about something other than business. Meredith was genuinely interested in knowing how everyone was, and that was comforting.
"Do you think we've walked far enough?" she asked.
"Let's check." I took out my phone, bringing up the app showing us cars. "I think it's good. We can share one," I said. "I'll drop you off first and then head home.”
"What are you afraid of? That I won't be able to find my own way from the Uber to my building?"
"Meredith," I said in a warning tone, and she sucked in a breath.
I locked my eyes on hers as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other, shaking her head.
Her thick, shiny hair fell on her face, and she pushed it away behind her ear.
An image popped into my mind of her under me, hair messed up while I was thrusting inside her.
Whoa, not going there.
I wasn't going to even fantasize about that. She wasn't going to end up in my bed.
Out. Of. The. Question.
"You bossed me into walking with me, which did make sense, but sharing a car doesn't. So, I'm ordering my own." She took out her phone, clicking on the app. "It's coming in two minutes."
I’d done the same. "Mine in three." At least that gave me some peace of mind; I could see her get in the car.
"Things didn't really go your way this evening, huh?" she teased.
"And you’re enjoying it."
"Immensely."
It was true. We didn't catch up nearly as much as I’d intended.
Her car arrived less than two minutes later.
"Tonight was fun. Admit it," I said as I opened the door for her.
The corners of her mouth twitched. "I think I can admit that without the risk of it going to your head."
"Excellent. That’s all I wanted to know."
She cocked an eyebrow as she lowered herself into the car. I breathed in another whiff of her shampoo—or maybe it was perfume—making me only want more.
“I find that hard to believe," she replied.
"That's because you don't know me very well anymore, Meredith. It doesn’t mean I’m giving up.”
She bit her lower lip. I barely kept my composure. I wanted to bend down and capture her mouth.
“Meaning?”
"Ma'am, we really should get going," the driver said.
"Just a second," she told him before focusing on me.
I winked. “No, he’s right. We wouldn’t want to waste his time, would we?”
I closed the door, enjoying the look on her face far too much.
Yeah, I was definitely an ass, but I liked surprising her. I’d come here tonight intent on burying the hatchet and catching up with an old friend. I hadn’t counted on being so attracted to her that I couldn’t think straight.