Matched

"Easy to say," she replies, her voice soft.

"Easy to do," I say, leaning closer, my lips just an inch from hers. "There's something my instructor told me when I was learning to skydive."

"What's that?"

"Just jump."

"My father always said don't jump out of a perfectly serviceable airplane."

"You don’t know how good it can be until you try." We stare each other down. "It'll be torture waiting an entire week."

"You'll survive," she says. "We really have to think this through and be sure."

I don't know if I'll survive. The idea of us being together…

"I already have thought this through, India, but you go ahead and take a week." I run a hand over her hair. "I don't need a week." I slide my fingers beneath her hair, then I bend down and kiss her.

Our kiss is deep and passionate. For the first time, I feel like I'm finally going to get exactly what I've wanted all these years.

We've always played around, joking about the two of us, but it's no longer a joke.

We adjust our clothes and India leaves my office, returning to her own across the hall from mine. I go to the door and glance out to find Grant standing at the photocopier in the alcove by the supply room. He glances up and sees me, so I decide to go and have a word with him about what he saw.

"Honestly, I had no idea you guys were… um…" he says and shrugs helplessly. "In the office so early." He's got a shit-eating grin on his face and I know we'll never live this down. It'll spread through the staff at the head office and then it'll fan out to the other satellite offices in DC and New York.

Crap… I know India won't like that.

Just then, India walks over to where we stand. She still looks a little flustered.

I smile at Grant, my hand on Grant's shoulder.

"You know, Grant, what you saw in there goes nowhere. I'm not telling and India's not telling, so if anyone so much as says a word about it to me or India, or either of us hear about it from anyone, I'll know it was you who spilled. You can consider your job over at that point. Do you understand?"

Grant glances between India and me, his eyes wide. "Ah, of course, sure," he says, and his voice wavers. "I'd never gossip about you two, but you have to know everyone already believes you two are a couple."

I frown. "What?"

"Oh, yeah. All the staff think you two are in love and secretly carrying on an affair, but don't want us to know. It's common knowledge."

"It's not true," India says, and then glances at me. "We aren't having an affair."

"Not yet," I say and pat Grant on the back. "We're thinking about it."

Grant holds his hands up. "Look, it doesn't matter to me. I think you two belong together. But if you don't want me to say anything about this morning, I'll keep it zipped.

"Don't say anything, please," India says, her voice pleading.

"At least, not yet," I say, eyeing her. "We'll be the ones who confirm it."

"If it's confirmed," she says.

I frown. "I hope it is," I say emphatically.

She says nothing in reply. I thought she wanted me as much as I wanted her. The kiss and the way she said fuck it earlier seemed to suggest that.

Now, I'm not so certain.

I know I want her. That much is undeniable, considering the way my body reacts to her and how often I think of her. I thought she was just as eager based on how she responded to me.