“Yes?”
She gave the door a light shove until it opened all the way, and she leapt, wrapping her arms and legs around his body like a koala hugging a eucalyptus tree. Her face pressed to his neck and inhaled
“Blair?”
She had confused him, but she couldn’t help herself. Besides, she owed him a little exuberance after all she had put him through the last few days.
“Could we go to the couch?” she asked. She wasn’t sure he would understand her words since they were muffled against his throat.
“Okay.” He stumbled awkwardly to the couch and sat down. Blair didn’t ease her grip. Now she was sitting in his lap instead of dangling from his limbs like a tree sloth. She cupped his face in her hands.
“First, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry I dropped off the radar for a while. I’ve been working through some stuff.” She paused, gathering her courage. “The truth is that I’ve been going to therapy with the guy who doesn’t wash his hands. That day when you told me, I was sort of overwhelmed. It was like everything I had been working toward was an illusion, and I panicked. I fell back on my default response which is to retreat and shut down. But I don’t want to do that anymore. I like being part of the world.”
“Okay,” he said. His lips were squished between her hands, puckering so that the word was slurred. She eased up on the pressure a little and he twitched his cheeks to restore circulation.
“Second, you’re right. We fit together remarkably well. You know about all my quirks and you like me anyway. I like you, too. I like being friends with you and, um, the other stuff, too.”
He smiled. “Yeah?”
She nodded. He eased toward her, but she wasn’t done talking. “Tanya told me that if I wanted to get your attention that I should crawl up in your lap and kiss you. This is me getting your attention.” She leaned forward and kissed him. She had never been the aggressor before, but she thought she did a good job because he seemed a little out of it when he pulled away.
“You definitely have my attention,” he said. His voice sounded croaky.
“Good because there’s something else we need to discuss, and it’s important. I don’t want to live separately forever. I want to date awhile, get married, and maybe even have kids.”
He went still and her heart sank. “You want kids?”
“Not just any kids. I want your kids. You give me baby fever,” she said.
“How many kids?”
“Two, max.”
He relaxed and managed a smile. “I can manage two.” He leaned in to seal the deal with a kiss, but she held up her hand.
“There’s one more thing, something that means even more to me than marriage and children.”
“What is it?” The wariness was back.
“You can’t ever grow a mustache. Ever. I can’t handle it.”
“Hmm,” he said, looking down as if giving the matter serious consideration. He toyed with the lace edge of her nightie, a minty shade of green this time. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
“What is it?”
“Buy one of these,” he held up the edge of her nightgown, “in every conceivable color, and I will never allow the hair on my face to come between us.”
“I don’t look good in yellow,” she said.
“I find that hard to believe. Buy one and I’ll decide for myself,” he said.
“Deal,” she agreed.
“You drive a hard bargain, Miss P. I’m glad you were willing to give a little on that.”
“Some things are worth the negotiation,” she said. “Learning to give a little takes practice in order to become good at it, just like everything else in life.” Then as if to prove her point, she leaned in and kissed him again.
Won't You Be My Neighbor? Page 17
