Page 31 of Once Upon a Beast

“It was all a game, it was all for show,” I admitted.

“On your part? I don’t think so. You like Layla. You never said as much to me, shocking considering how warm and fuzzy you are. I can tell you want to be with her. If I didn’t already know that, I would after seeing these pictures.”

“She doesn’t feel the same way.” I turned away from the table, I couldn’t look at the pictures anymore. When I did, they just reminded me of what I had held for the briefest of moments and would never have again.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked and picked up one of the newspapers.

“Put that thing away. Better yet, throw them all away. I don’t want to see them anymore. We have work to do.”

“Securing your project and future is the only work we need to be concentrating on right now. Which means we aren’t done discussing this.”

“I am,” I called out as I walked away from him.

“What makes you think she didn’t want to kiss you? Did you force yourself on her?”

I turned and said, “What? No. She asked me to kiss her. Well, it was more she suggested it as she was pulling me towards her to kiss her.”

“Sexy,” Steve said and I glared at him. “So, what’s the problem?” He asked

“The only reason she did it was because there were cameras on us. She was doing it for a show and she felt she had to. She was selling a bill of goods and for a half a second, I bought it. I’m not going to do that again.”

“I think she wants you to keep buying.” Steve looked at the picture and then looked over at me.

“You weren’t there. You didn’t see how she looked at me after I apologized.”

“What do you mean you apologized?” Steve stood up as he looked at me.

“I told her I was sorry it happened and it wouldn’t happen again.”

Steve crossed his arms under his chest and let out a long sigh. “And you wonder why the woman was mad at you?”

“What? I let it go too far. I shouldn’t have kissed her like that. It wasn’t right. I corrected it and apologized. Apparently, it wasn’t enough as she was still mad at me.”

“Did you think that she might have been upset because you apologized for kissing her like she was water to a man lost in the desert?”

“I didn’t kiss her like that.”

“Yes, you did,” Steve said and waved one of the papers in front of me. “I wasn’t even there and I got all hot and bothered looking at the picture. It was probably ten times hotter being a part of it. You kissed the woman like that and then, and then, you apologized? What is wrong with you?”

“It was what she wanted,” I defended.

“Again? Are you sure? What is wrong with you? Did she tell you that?”

“Well, no. She didn’t say anything. I figured she was upset, so I apologized. What else could it be?”

“Nicodemus, you are one of the smartest men I’ve ever met or had the privilege of working with. I truly believe the world is a better place because you are in it, but at this moment, you have to be the dumbest man I’ve ever met.”

Steve walked over and put a hand on my shoulder. “She was mad at you for apologizing, not for kissing her. She asked you to kiss her and you did. From what I can see, you almost knocked her socks off. Instead of continuing what you started as soon as you got in the car, you told her you were sorry and that it would never happen again?”

“When you put it that way,” I began.

“It was exactly that way. Answer these questions for me and don’t overthink them or try and figure out how I want you to answer or do any of the other stuff you normally do. I want you to answer these questions with your first instinct, from your gut. No thinking. Just yes or no. Okay?”

“Okay,” I said slowly.

“Do you want to be with Layla?”

“More than anything.”