His brows furrow. “I didn’t see anyone out there, must’ve ran off when they saw me coming.”
Just as he says that, the sound of an engine from down the street starting up makes me jump. Lewis puts a hand on my arm and guides me toward the stairs. “Hey, there’s no need to be on edge, Sam is fine. I gave her Connor’s address so she’s not going in blind.”
He’s misjudged my anxious behavior but I don’t want to correct him. If I corrected him, then I’d have to let him into a part of me I haven’t even told Sam yet. He’s a nice guy and all and I’m starting to see him as a friend, so why would I send him running for the hills just yet?
“Fancy pizza?” He asks, interrupting my thoughts, and my stomach grumbles at the thought. “I’ll take that as a yes then,” he chuckles.
He orders a pepperoni pizza and screws his nose up at my choice.
“What? It’s a perfectly acceptable pizza topping,” I say, rifling through mine and Sam’s extensive DVD collection.
“You just don’t put pineapple on top of pizza, it’s sacrilege,” he says, feigning disgust, or perhaps it’s real disgust.
“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!” I quip back.
He kneels down next to me and picks up one of Sam’s romantic comedies and I give him a knowing look, it says ‘yeah I know what you’re up to buddy’ and he raises his shoulders at me.
“What? So I like a chick flick every now and again, who doesn’t?” He says, amusement plastered across his face.
“Me. Give me action over mushy shit any day.”
I make a grab for one of my favorites and he concedes and settles down into the sofa.
I have a moral dilemma as I turn around and freeze. Where do I sit? If I sit in the armchair, then he’ll think I’m scared to sit next to him. But if I sit next to him. then will he try to get touchy feely with me? I can’t have him do that, I just… I just don’t see him like he wants me to. God, I wish I could, but I don’t.
I choose the friendlier of the options and take a seat on the sofa next to him, but I angle my body away from him, curling my feet under me so he doesn’t get the wrong idea. He eyes me quizzically, but I keep my eyes focused on the screen.
I’m so engrossed in the movie that half an hour later I jump as the buzzer sounds again, my heart pounds in my chest and I must look frantic because Lewis squeezes my shoulder. “Jeez, Keeley, you nearly gave me a heart attack the way you just jumped out your seat. I’ll get it, you stay here.”
I don’t even argue with him, I need to stop being such a, dare I say it, girl. He’s back in a little under three minutes and I start to calm as I eat the delicious pizza in silence, well almost. I notice Lewis staring at me and mid mouthful I turn to him. “What!” I snap, because he’s putting me off enjoying my meal.
He snorts. “Well one, I’m just amazed at how you can eat warm pineapple, it makes me feel a little sick thinking about it. And two, damn you can put it away.”
I don’t know whether to feel offended at his statement or impressed with myself at being able to eat as much as he has, so I just shrug.
“I like my food, and I’ve already said, don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”
I shove a piece in his direction and he turns up his nose. “No, thanks. I think I’d rather live in ignorance for that one.”
I stick out my tongue. “Suit yourself, more for me then.”
And I take a big bite.
The movie finishes and we both sit there in uncomfortable silence, until he clears his throat.
“Do you want to watch another?” He asks, clearly not wanting to leave just yet.
“Sure, I’ll let you pick this time. Just no girly shit,” I say back with a wink.
He gets up and peruses the DVD collection, it hasn’t been updated in a little while so we’ve both probably seen every movie there at least ten times over, at least I have.
It takes him a little while but he finally picks one and comes and sits back down next to me.
As the beginning credits are on, he picks at invisible lint on his sweatpants, clearly wanting to say something. “I was thinking…” Oh hell, nothing good seems to come after that line. “…can I cash in that raincheck to take you out on my bike tomorrow?”
Here we go. “I’ve got work tomorrow, I’ve got to juggle around Sam’s clients now too, I don’t know when I’d be done by. Maybe another day?”
He scratches the back of his neck. “You don’t like me, do you?”
Wow, straight to the point there. He’s floored me and I don’t know what to say.
“It’s okay, Keeley, I can take it like a man.”