Page 50 of Strictly Business
I kiss the crown of her head, "Mornin', Shortcake."
Michaela stands in shock for another moment even after I begin the walk back to her condo. She digs through her purse mumbling to herself as she walks, but I dangle the spare I found on the key ring in the kitchen. “Would this help?”
Her eyes roll before snatching it from my hands and unlocking the door. “You were gone when I woke up, so I figured—”
"Thought you'd be hungry. I was hoping to be back before you woke up, I'm sorry I wasn't. The line was longer than anticipated."
"So, you didn’t leave and come back pretending to have been gone to get coffee?"
I laugh, "If I had planned on leaving for good, why would I take your spare key?”
“So, you could sneak in and murder me later.”
“You have the wildest imagination, you know that?” I hand over a sausage, egg, and cheese English muffin. “It’s not Bagel World, sorry.” Michaela stares at it like it might bite her before meeting my gaze. “It’s just a sandwich, Michaela.” Finally, she snatches it from my hands and falls back onto the couch. I set the coffee and give her knee a gentle squeeze. “Hey, I’m supposed to get dinner with Colin and his girlfriend tonight, but they had to cancel. Would you like to join me instead?”
Michaela’s brows raise. “You want to get dinner?”
“Of course.”
Her mouth opens and closes as she fiddles with the lid of the coffee cup. “Finn, I— We don’t do dinner. We don’t— That’s not— What is this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Not even five weeks ago you couldn’t stand me. And now… You’re asking me to dinner. We just slept together, for the second time!”
“Who said I didn’t like you?”
“You!"
"Me?"
"Every time I’m around you.” She lifts her hands in exasperation. “You're an asshole, what am I supposed to think?"
I can’t help but laugh. “I mean, you can be a little annoying, but—”
“This isn’t funny, Finn!” She begins to pace. “Is this some way to mess with me or—”
“No,” I stop her pacing. “No, it’s not like that.” I don’t know what this is. Sure, she has always gotten on my nerves. She's my best friend's little sister — the annoying little kid who never wanted to leave us alone, but it wasn’t that I didn’t like her. She was just…Michaela, but now…
“What is this?” she practically begs.
I don’t have an answer for her because I don’t know.
“If this is some way for you to get under my brother’s skin—”
“No! No, that’s not it.”
“Maybe it’s best if we just forget it ever happened. I mean, it was fun, but… I’m already dealing with one asshole, I don’t need another screwing up my life more than David already has.”
Fuck, she's right. I mean, she’s not even divorced yet. When I came to check on her last night, it was not my intention to end up in bed together. One thing led to another, and I prayed to God she would stop me, but she didn’t and I couldn’t stop myself.
“I think it’s best if we chalk this up to a two-night thing we never speak of again.” Her sigh throws salt in the wound, and I want to tell her she’s wrong. I don’t want it to be a ‘two-night’ thing, but I can’t say that if she doesn’t feel the same way.
“I think we should go,” she picks up her bag from the small white circular dining table and waits for me to follow — I guess the conversation is finished.
The elevator ride is awkward, to say the least. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her this quiet. It’s a little unnerving and I feel bad. How could I put her in this position? I’ve just made everything ten times worse.
When we get to the street, she hails a passing cab and I step in front of her to open the door. “Well, I guess, I won’t be seeing you around,” I say with a smirk as she slides into the backseat. Our faces mere inches apart when I lean down into the cab. “It was good while it lasted, Shortcake. Be a good girl, okay?” She bites down on the corner of her mouth and readjusts her position but refuses to look at me. “Columbus Circle,” I tell the cabbie before handing him a fifty.