question but Adam doesn’t miss a beat responding.
“No, she’s my wife,” he deadpans.
“What do you have there?” the policeman asks, flashing the beam of light on Adam’s iPhone, which is cradled on the dash. “Is that a radar detector?”
Adam tries to keep a straight face as he slowly says, “That would be my phone.”
“I guess it wouldn’t be a radar detector because I caught you speeding. Also, you didn’t come to a complete stop at that stop sign a while back. Around here we come to complete stops.” The officer hands back his license and writes up a ticket.
Adam rolls up his window as the officer returns to his car. His eyes slowly shift to my face and he waves the ticket in my direction. “See what you did, Clausen? I blame you for this! You‘re so distracting.”
I hope with everything in me he means that in a good way.
“Geez, Adam,” I joke, “Didn’t you know that around here they come to complete stops? I can’t believe you messed that up!”
He reaches to poke me with the ticket then tucks it behind his sun visor before pulling back onto the road. “You know I’ve never actually gotten a ticket before?”
“In this thing?” I ask skeptically.
“I didn’t say I don’t drive fast. I said I’ve never been caught.” His eyes are sparkling when they flick to mine.
“Sounds like you should really pay better attention to the road.”
“Should I just let you out here then?” He pretends to pull the car back over and I’m relieved this run-in with the law didn’t put a damper on our night together.
We finally pull into my apartment complex well after midnight and he parks his car near the steps to my door. Now that we’re back, the anticipation is coursing through me. My head is trying to once again balance out whether this was more of a first date or two friends hanging out.
He switches off the car and turns to look at me. The corners of his mouth are turned up into the faintest hint of a smile. Our elbows are barely touching on the center console, the heat from his body radiating through mine. I don't dare move for fear his arm will pull away. My breathing quickens and I tell myself, get a grip Alexa, it’s a freaking elbow.
He shifts slightly in his seat, the leather creaking as his body turns towards mine. As he rotates, his arm pulls away, leaving my skin aching in its wake and me wanting nothing more than for him to put it back. I stare up into those deep brown eyes for what feels like forever, trying to read his expression, wondering what this is to him.
“So, Alexa,” he says slowly, leaning in a little closer. I swallow hard. His face is inches from mine now.
“Adam...”
He lets out a slight chuckle, never taking his eyes off mine. “Thanks for taking a drive with me.” His face breaks into a wide smile as he says it, as if we’d simply driven around the block rather than spending the last several hours completely engrossed in one another’s company.
I meet his gaze, waiting to see what he’ll do next, knowing I don’t have it in me to make the first move. I can feel my pulse throbbing in my fingertips, feel it booming in my eardrums. Adam is sitting perfectly still, just watching me, a hint of a smile still echoing on his lips. Weighted seconds tick by in his silent car. I’m worried he’ll think it’s weird if I don’t get out soon, so I grin and say brightly, “Look out for stop signs on your way home,” before climbing out the door.
Chapter 8
I have the next day off from work. I stay in bed until mid-afternoon thinking about Adam, trying desperately to fall back to sleep on the off chance I might dream of him. I replay every moment from our drive, relishing his sideways glances, his easy laugh, the little tidbits of his life he shared with me. I scan back through our conversations, trying to file our interactions into the friend versus date category, but it’s no use. I still have no idea what we’re doing. I finally drag myself
“No, she’s my wife,” he deadpans.
“What do you have there?” the policeman asks, flashing the beam of light on Adam’s iPhone, which is cradled on the dash. “Is that a radar detector?”
Adam tries to keep a straight face as he slowly says, “That would be my phone.”
“I guess it wouldn’t be a radar detector because I caught you speeding. Also, you didn’t come to a complete stop at that stop sign a while back. Around here we come to complete stops.” The officer hands back his license and writes up a ticket.
Adam rolls up his window as the officer returns to his car. His eyes slowly shift to my face and he waves the ticket in my direction. “See what you did, Clausen? I blame you for this! You‘re so distracting.”
I hope with everything in me he means that in a good way.
“Geez, Adam,” I joke, “Didn’t you know that around here they come to complete stops? I can’t believe you messed that up!”
He reaches to poke me with the ticket then tucks it behind his sun visor before pulling back onto the road. “You know I’ve never actually gotten a ticket before?”
“In this thing?” I ask skeptically.
“I didn’t say I don’t drive fast. I said I’ve never been caught.” His eyes are sparkling when they flick to mine.
“Sounds like you should really pay better attention to the road.”
“Should I just let you out here then?” He pretends to pull the car back over and I’m relieved this run-in with the law didn’t put a damper on our night together.
We finally pull into my apartment complex well after midnight and he parks his car near the steps to my door. Now that we’re back, the anticipation is coursing through me. My head is trying to once again balance out whether this was more of a first date or two friends hanging out.
He switches off the car and turns to look at me. The corners of his mouth are turned up into the faintest hint of a smile. Our elbows are barely touching on the center console, the heat from his body radiating through mine. I don't dare move for fear his arm will pull away. My breathing quickens and I tell myself, get a grip Alexa, it’s a freaking elbow.
He shifts slightly in his seat, the leather creaking as his body turns towards mine. As he rotates, his arm pulls away, leaving my skin aching in its wake and me wanting nothing more than for him to put it back. I stare up into those deep brown eyes for what feels like forever, trying to read his expression, wondering what this is to him.
“So, Alexa,” he says slowly, leaning in a little closer. I swallow hard. His face is inches from mine now.
“Adam...”
He lets out a slight chuckle, never taking his eyes off mine. “Thanks for taking a drive with me.” His face breaks into a wide smile as he says it, as if we’d simply driven around the block rather than spending the last several hours completely engrossed in one another’s company.
I meet his gaze, waiting to see what he’ll do next, knowing I don’t have it in me to make the first move. I can feel my pulse throbbing in my fingertips, feel it booming in my eardrums. Adam is sitting perfectly still, just watching me, a hint of a smile still echoing on his lips. Weighted seconds tick by in his silent car. I’m worried he’ll think it’s weird if I don’t get out soon, so I grin and say brightly, “Look out for stop signs on your way home,” before climbing out the door.
Chapter 8
I have the next day off from work. I stay in bed until mid-afternoon thinking about Adam, trying desperately to fall back to sleep on the off chance I might dream of him. I replay every moment from our drive, relishing his sideways glances, his easy laugh, the little tidbits of his life he shared with me. I scan back through our conversations, trying to file our interactions into the friend versus date category, but it’s no use. I still have no idea what we’re doing. I finally drag myself
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