“I need to talk to AJ.” I shrugged. “But don’t you think that might be too much being right next door?”
“God no. We can cook out. Wine nights. We could start a book club on the row. It would be great. I would love for you to be next door.”
I realized it wasn’t that I didn’t want to live next to Becca, I didn’t want to push things with AJ before we were ready. It was one thing to sleep over. To keep a change of clothes in his dresser or an extra toothbrush and contact case in his medicine cabinet. It was something entirely different to merge everything we had under the same roof.
I didn’t know that either of us was in that place. It suited Travis and Becca. I didn’t know if it suited us, yet.
“That would be nice,” I answered carefully. She didn’t seem worried about the two of us working at DataCorp and living next door.
“I think the guys would love it too. It was actually Travis’s idea when we heard the owner wanted to find renters.”
“Really?” I was surprised.
She grinned slyly. “He thinks the four of us should hang out together more than we do.”
“He does?” I didn’t know who this version of Travis was she was talking about. We didn’t talk much when we went to dinner. He usually seemed bored, or ready to leave.
Soccer nights like this one were when he was the most animated. It was clear he loved sports and anything involving them. I didn’t push Becca about it. She was happy with him.
Now that AJ had graduated from the Academy and was on a regular schedule at the Bureau, he and Travis spent more time together. They went to football games. Bars to watch college basketball. I heard something about a poker group they were trying to organize.
I took another sip of the bourbon, welcoming the way it warmed my throat. I had to be careful, or I’d be drunk before AJ stepped off the field. Becca’s recipe was strong.
“He just never seems that into us,” I commented. “He wants us to hang out, really?”
Becca moaned. “What? Of course he is. If you live next door he’ll get to do more guy stuff with AJ. And you and I can hang out more. It’s perfect.”
“Maybe a little too perfect,” I mumbled.
I realized in Becca’s head it sounded like a suburban dream, but I wanted to bask in the newness of what AJ and I had. I didn’t want it to drown in Tuesday pork chop night and Friday night cocktails on their patio. I liked what we had. What we did.
I felt protective of us. Maybe it was selfish not to let anyone inside our bubble, but I loved our spontaneity. I loved that we ate out or when AJ liked to cook for me. I loved when we decided to pack up and drive to the mountains for a weekend. I loved the new bars we tried, or the Sundays when we woke up and decided to order delivery and watch old movies in bed all day. We had tickets to a concert this weekend. If we lived next to Becca and Travis did they assume that all our dates would be double dates? Is that how this worked?
I smiled when I heard the referee blow the whistle. The game was over. I had no idea who won. It didn’t matter as long as we could finally get out of the bitter cold. I saw AJ wipe the sweat from his brow. I felt the same quiver every time his eyes locked on mine. It sent something through me that felt cataclysmic.
He climbed up the bleachers and planted a kiss on my mouth.
“Mmm,” I purred when I tasted his salty lips.
“You’re freezing.” He looked worried.
I nodded. “Take me home and warm me up?”
“And drinking?”
I giggled, holding up the cup. Becca piped in. “I had to do something to get us through this game. Why couldn’t they just cancel? The fans were about to riot,” she joked.
As soon as she said it the snow began to fall. I glanced upward, and the flakes fell on my nose and cheeks.
AJ wrapped a heavy arm around my shoulder, leading me off the metal bench. “We won. So I’m glad they didn’t cancel.”
“You did?”
He laughed. “I love that you’re here, but you didn’t keep score?”
I bit my lip. “It’s hard to watch when I think you’re going to get your face smashed in.”
He groaned. “That’s not going to happen.”