I consider her accusation. Adam does have a good jawline.
“Have you ever considered that maybe I’m a mature adult who knows how to handle herself in public?”
“No. I’ve never once considered that.”
Silly Daisy. If she were in my position, she would have laid into Adam and demanded some sort of excuse, but I don’t need an excuse.
“You can see that he’s interested though, right?”
She narrows her eyes, mulling over her answer before replying, “He does seem overly friendly with you compared to the other students.”
“And did you see the way he smiled at me when he first walked in?”
She nods reluctantly. “I saw.”
I try not to squeal.
“But why do you want him to like you so bad? Are you going to do something about it?”
“Oh.” I hadn’t thought that far ahead; I just wanted to be right about him liking me. “No, I probably won’t do anything.”
“Really?”
“Do I have to do something about it?”
“Not necessarily, but aren’t you on all those apps and attending singles events because you want to find someone to spend time with?”
“Right, sure, but Adam told me the other day that he’s not ready to date.”
She laughs. “Bullshit. He’s been eyeing you all class like you’re dipped in chocolate sauce and he’s got a serious sweet tooth.”
“Gross.”
“I’m serious. Whatever he meant by that dating comment, I don’t think it still applies. He wants you.”
When she puts it that way, it makes a lot of sense. Adam is single. I’m single. He seems interested, and I’m definitely interested. The only problem I foresee is that I will be working with him at the agency. Daisy doesn’t seem to think that’s a problem though.
“So you show him a few houses, earn a commission, and then date him. He agreed to be your client prior to you being interested in him. It’s not really a conflict of interest, in my opinion. Has Helen mentioned anything about a non-fraternization policy?”
I snort. “Are you kidding me? She actively wants us to get close with our clients. I think Lori has dated like five of the men she’s sold homes to in the past.”
“See?! It’s perfect.”
I nod, absorbing her suggestions. “So you think I should stay after class?”
“You have to. I already asked Lucas to come pick me up.”
Thirty minutes later, Daisy is gone and all the other attendants are filtering out of the gymnasium doors toward the parking lot. I linger behind with Mouse as Adam chats with a woman who has a question about clicker training. It feels a bit awkward, especially when she drags on and on, acting as if she’s never even heard of the concept before. It’s just the three of us and she doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave.
“I tell you what, why don’t you come early next class, and we’ll go over it a little bit more,” Adam suggests.
“Oh really?” she asks. “That would be great. Thank you so much.”
She’s overly eager and I want to shoo her away. Instead, I focus on Mouse and give him a little bit of overtime training—Lord knows he needs it.
A few minutes later, the gymnasium door closes and I look up to see Adam walking toward me. For a moment, I think maybe I shouldn’t have stayed behind.
“Need help cleaning up?” I ask, tilting my head toward the dozen chairs. There are also a few cones set out for walking exercises. In all, it would take someone five minutes to clean it up. Together, we do it in three.
“Thanks,” Adam says, accepting the last chair from me so he can stack it against the wall.
“No problem.”
“So…”
He laughs and stuffs his hands in his pockets. “So.”
It’s my chance to make a move. It’s either now or never.
I take a step toward him and bite the bullet.
“Listen, Adam, I was wondering if you’d want to get dinner or something this week?”
My invitation appears to catch him off guard. He tugs a hand through his hair, looks away, and then glances back with narrowed eyes. “To go over house stuff?”
I smile. “We can talk about that if you want, but I was thinking something a little more personal.”
“Like a date?”
“Sure, like a date,” I reply, my voice a little more flirtatious than I’m used to. “I know you told me the other day you weren’t really ready, but you and I don’t have to make a big deal—”
He sighs and glances away just for a second before shaking his head. “No, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
My smile doesn’t even falter because I don’t think I’ve heard him correctly. It’s ten long seconds before I register his response and my smile slowly fades.
“Wait, did you say no?”
“I’m not dating right now.”
I take a tiny step back and regroup.
“So just to be clear, you’re saying no.”
My voice is still deceptively calm, though every nerve ending is firing off inside of me, telling me to run. It makes no sense. He likes me…doesn’t he? Isn’t that why he’s been acting so weird lately?
“Madeleine, listen.” He comes closer. “It’s not you. Believe me, it has nothing to do with you.”
I hold out my hands to block him from getting nearer. “Oh God, please stop while you’re ahead.”
“What? It’s the truth. You think I’m spouting off bullshit? I’m not dating right now. I just got out of an engagement. I need some time to figure out my life.”
I hear nothing but stale, useless words. “You need some time to figure out your life? Go hike the freakin’ Appalachian Trail! If you’re not ready for anything, why have you been flirting with me? Running with my dog?”
He reaches out, but I take another step back.
“I admit, I might have led you on a little bit, but that wasn’t my intention.”
I point my finger at him accusingly. “You were jealous about that cowboy. You didn’t want me to go home with him.”
His expression looks pained, like he doesn’t want to hurt me. “You’re right, I didn’t want you to go home with him.”
I laugh, and it sounds aggressive and cruel. “So just to get it straight—you don’t want to date me, but you don’t want other people to date me either?”
He doesn’t reply.
“Do you like me or was I deluding myself?”
He steps forward and grips my arms so I can’t pull back. Finally, I’m as close as he wants me to be, and I have no choice but to stand right there in front of him, inhaling his body wash. It’s nauseating and perfect. I can’t stand it, and yet I want to let my head fall against his chest and sigh.
“I like you. If I were dating right now, I’d want to be with you, okay?” He bends down so his gaze meets mine. Even still, I do my best to focus on the gym floor. “The reason I’ve been ignoring your calls and emails is because I like you too much. Of course I want to date you. Of course I want to go to dinner. I want to go back to that night in your apartment and skip the stupid chamber of commerce meeting. Do you get it? I want you, but it’s not the right time. I’ve been trying to give us both some space.”