Page 32 of Midnight Kiss
I spent the next fifteen minutes catching up on the last of my work, occasionally peering at the caged books, the shelves closest to my desk. Finally, I grabbed my tote and headed out the door, waving goodbye to a couple of the other librarians. The library was closing, and there was a healthy flow of people leaving down the vast stone steps.
I paused to appreciate the building, the stone columns, the scope and scale of it. I was lucky to work here, doing what I loved, and I didn’t want that to change.
Or do you?
Being around Alex made me feel unstable. Like things could change at any given moment, and I should’ve wanted out. Away.
But I didn’t. I wanted him. I wanted him so badly it stole my breath. So badly that last night, I’d touched myself and whispered his name during my climax.
I shook my head and shouldered my tote, starting down the steps.
“Em! Hey, Em!” Michael waved at me from the base of the steps, Reginald Tailwag sitting beside him on the concrete.
“Oh, hey, Mike.” Things had been weird between us lately, but seeing him still brought me joy. Today was just a normal day, and it was good to be around friends.
“I thought we could take a walk before we head home,” he said. “I just finished with work for the day.”
“You took Reginald with you.” I put out a hand.
Reginald sniffed me and then licked my fingers, wagging his fluffy golden tail. He jumped up and rested his paws against my middle, and I cuddled him.
“Yeah, it was a wedding shoot, and they wanted a dog there,” he said. “Thankfully, Reggie fit the bill. How are you feeling? Still sick?”
“No, I’m way better today,” I said.
“You look it. You’re all pink-cheeked and happy.”
“Thanks.”
We strolled down the sidewalk together, Reginald’s paws pattering along beside us.
“You didn’t have to stop by,” I said. “I’m fine, you know.”
“I know,” Mike said. “But you’re my friend, and you’ve been going through it lately, what with the mugger and stuff. It’s better if you have someone with you, you know?”
“That’s really sweet, Mike, thanks.”
He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, and my stomach jolted. I removed my hand from his grasp right away and forced a quick smile.
“So, work was good?” he asked.
“Sure. Just the usual. Jen invited me out for a girls’ night, so that’s great. Morgan can probably come. And I guess you can too.”
Mike gave me an odd look. “A girls’ night?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I probably shouldn’t go, right?”
I glanced over my shoulder and found nothing but people walking, talking, on their phones. None of them paid any attention to me. So why did I still feel like I was being watched?
“Em?”
“Huh?”
“If it’s a girls’ night, I probably shouldn’t go,” he said.
“I’m sure it’s fine.” I shrugged. “You’re practically one of the girls at this point.” It took me a couple of steps to realize he wasn’t walking alongside me anymore.