“I have no idea.” I think of places that we can meet at. Maybe I could mention Luke’s place, but then what if we run into people I know or who know Harlow or the girls, and then it’s like front page news?
“Do you want to come here?” he asks. I am already shaking my head, but curiosity gets the best of me.
“Where is here?” I close my eyes once I say the words. It’s none of my business where here is. Since the engagement was called off, is he living in a hotel? Did she move out of the house? Did he move out of the house? There are so many questions I want to ask, but I also know it’s none of my business.
“I live in town,” he replies, and I gasp.
“You live here?” The shock in my voice must be apparent because he laughs at me.
“Where did you think I lived?” he asks.
“I have no idea,” I tell him the truth. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”
“We need to catch up.” The minute I hear those words, my stomach gets tight.
“Why don’t we do it at another time?” I again try to push it off because maybe I’m just not ready to catch up. Maybe we’ve caught up and we should just leave it at that.
“Sofia, you have three choices, you can come here.” His voice is clear now. “I can come there or we can meet.” I wait five seconds to see if he is going to give me a fourth option. “So you pick, what’s it going to be?”
My leg starts to move up and down. “Why don’t you come to my house?” If we are going to do this, I’m going to do it on my turf. Besides, do I want to go to his place where Helena’s stuff is probably still lying around the house? Or is it?
“Are you sure?” he asks as I hear a door closing.
“No,” I answer honestly, “but you won’t let up, so this is where we’re at.”
He laughs. “Can you send me your address? I’ll go and get food and then head to your place.”
“Or we can just have coffee,” I suggest, tapping my desk.
“Send me the address, Sofia. I’ll send you an ETA once I get it.”
“Okay,” I say.
“I’ll wait on the phone while you send it.”
“What?” I ask, not sure I heard him right.
“Sofia, you are already a flight risk.” I close my eyes, rolling my lips. “So I’m not going to let you go until I have your address. Or, option number four.” I wait for it. “I pick you up at work and drive you home.”
“Wow,” I respond, shocked that he knows me a bit better than I thought. “As if I would not send you my address. I’m insulted.”
“Nice cover-up, Sofia.” He laughs. “I’m still waiting in my car.”
“You’re in your car?” I fly out of my chair. “How?” I look around for my purse and rush to get out of my office. “You were literally asleep five seconds ago.”
“I fell asleep on the couch waiting for your call,” he explains. “Then when you called, I got up and walked out the door. Now, do I come get you or do I meet you at your house?”
I open the text thread, typing in his name I stored before deleting the text.
3216 Elm Street
“There,” I tell him once I press send.
“Got it. I’ll be there in about thirty-five minutes.”
“See you then,” I say, disconnecting before he keeps me on the phone longer. I rush around the office grabbing my jacket and bags before hightailing it out. I get in the car and make it home in twenty minutes. The whole time I’m playing how the conversation is going to go in my head. Each time preparing what to say to him.
I park in the driveway and run up the stairs, punching in my code. I dump my bags at the door and kick off my shoes, turning on the lights in the hallway and then the kitchen once I make it there. I even turn on the lights in the adjacent room and to the fireplace also.
“Oh, come on,” I scold myself, quickly turning it off. “Why don’t you put on ‘Let’s Get It On’？”
I pace around the room, making sure that nothing screams romance, or I want to have sex with you. “Why would he think you want to have sex with him?” I am literally having a conversation with myself. “I don’t want to have sex with him,” I tell myself while I can hear my cousins laughing at me from Saturday when I said the same thing, and in the next sentence mentioned how good-looking his dick was. “Should I change?” I look down at the outfit I put on this morning, right before I left my parents’ house and drove straight to work. “Yeah, why don’t you slip into something a little more comfortable?” I mock myself. “Maybe some lace and your garter.