Amanda - I'm sorry, too.
Derek - No need. You didn't do anything. (Did you?)
Derek - Ignore that. Our deal was no commitment. None of my business.
Amanda typed out her response--is that what you want?--then erased it before hitting send.
Amanda - Bumped into an old friend. His date ran out on him. We caught up.
Derek - wipes brow in relief.
Amanda - So we're good?
She cringed the second she pressed send. The question sounded far too needy. But there was no calling it back. Too bad she didn't live in another age. With a letter she could have hightailed it to her mailbox and pulled back the envelope.
But of course they were good. That was pretty much the point of the whole text conversation.
But if they were good, why wasn't he responding?
Frowning, she closed the app and re-opened it, then checked her signal strength. All good.
Damn.
She was about to power off her phone--at least then she wouldn't know he was actively ignoring her--when the doorbell rang.
She glanced at her watch, considered ignoring it, then felt her phone buzz in her hand.
Derek - Knock Knock
Grinning, she hurried to the door and flung it open. "Who's there?"
"An asshole?"
She shook her head as she ushered him in. "No. Definitely not. How did you find me?" She realized for the first time that she'd never given him her address.
"We corporate big shots have all sorts of underhanded methods to find people."
"Uh-huh. Well, however you managed, I'm glad you did." She drew in a breath, and asked the lingering question. "We're good, right? We'll see each other again next month?"
"Actually, no."
"We're not good?" A shock of panic cut through her. "But--"
He took her hands. "We won't see each other next month. I'll be in Europe all of October."
"Oh." The weight of her disappointment surprised her. She licked her lips. "This isn't a brush-off, is it?"
His smile was gentle. "Did you not read all my groveling texts? Honestly, it's going to be a pain. Twenty hotels in twenty-five days. Pity me."
"Maybe when you get back I'll have found the perfect condo for you to relax in and shake off all that European dust."
He took a step closer. "I hope so."
Suddenly, she was very aware of her own breathing. "Um, so when will you be back?"
"The Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Will you be in town or traveling?"
"I'll be here." She grinned. "That's what I'll be thankful for." Had she really just said that? It was true, but had she really said it?