“Anything ever happen between you and Fletcher? You two seem awfully close.”
“Oh, no. I swear.”
“You’re sure? I’d understand.... I just need to know because...” Danny didn’t finish his sentence.
“I’m sure,” Dot said, looking him straight in the eye. “I promise.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and got as close as she could to him. She felt the tension release from his shoulders.
“All right. May I ask you to come back to my house tonight?” He leaned down and whispered to her, deciding it was finally time to fully jump into this relationship.
A wave of warmth rippled through her at the thought of going home with him.
Danny lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him. “It sounds like another great idea.”
And that was the permission he needed. He gently set her down, took her hand, and they snuck out through the back door without saying goodbye.
IN THE MORNING,the sun’s first rays of the day fell across Dot’s eyes. Her blond hair was strewn across Danny’s pillow. She opened her eyes and stretched like a cat. Danny was lying on his side, the covers pulled up to his waist, watching her.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning.”
“I have an important question.”
“Wow, already? What time is it?” She tried to make light of the moment but dreaded what was coming. His dark eyes looked so serious. She took a deep breath. “Okay. Ask me anything.”
“How do you take your coffee in the morning?”
Relief flooded her brain. She smiled with her full face.
“A bit of milk—real milk.” She didn’t want to trigger his almond “milk” sermon.
“No sugar, right?” he asked and she nodded.
“Right.”
“Be right back.” Danny scooted off the bed to go get the coffee.
Dot sat up and pulled his white T-shirt over her head. It smelled like him: a mix of Old Spice and Ivory soap. She put the collar of the shirt up to her nose and breathed deeply.
Danny was back a couple of minutes later.
“Here you go,” he said, handing her a steaming mug of coffee. Then he opened the blinds of the large window and twisted the handle to open it, letting in the fresh morning air. Birds were singing and she could hear a leaf blower in the distance. There were no sirens or honking horns. It sounded like suburbia. And Dot realized she kind of liked it.
She sat up and leaned against the headboard.
He climbed back into bed and said, “Cheers” and clinked his mug against hers.
“So...” Dot said.
“So...” He returned her serve.
“That was... lovely.”
“It was.” He ran his fingers over her forearm.
“What do you have on your schedule today?” she asked.