possessive hold.
“Cold?” he whispered softly.
Glancing back, I shook my head. “The way she sings this song… It gives me goose bumps. I almost expect her to come down and kill me.”
“Come on,” he said as she finished. “Let’s get you home.”
The quick walk to my apartment was riddled with shop talk as Aaron highlighted a few of the changes he wanted to make; intensifying a lyric here, repeating a chorus there and eliminating a long, pregnant pause that broke the pace.
The moment I turned the key and pushed open my door, his topic of concern turned to me. “Hell, this place still hasn’t warmed up. How in the world did you manage to sleep here last night?”
Shrugging, I stepped inside the freezing apartment, reluctant to let Aaron know I’d spent the night at Eric’s place. I also didn’t want to let him think the cold bothered me so much. “It’s not that bad. You’re just cold because it was so hot at the Opera House.”
Before I could enter further into the apartment, Aaron grabbed my elbow and pulled me back. “Stop sugar-coating it, Annette. Something is wrong with this apartment. If you stay here, your voice won’t even hold until rehearsals are over. You can’t stay here.”
“Aaron, you’re exaggerating.” But even as I spoke, my teeth began to chatter.
Grinning and biting back on a full out laugh, Aaron looked at me. “Should I wait until icicles form on your lashes before convincing you that you need to come stay with me?”
“Aaron… I can’t always be at your place.”
“Did I not behave like a gentleman the other night?”
“Yes, Aaron, you were perfect.”
“Well, then?”
“All my stuff is here. This is my home. Besides, if I spend too much time at your place, I’m afraid it will end up changing things between us. I wouldn’t want you to come to expect anything of me.”
He took a hold of my hands and held them up to kiss one hand then the other. “My dearest, Annette, you're overthinking it. Not that I want to pull rank, but I am your boss, and as your boss I need to ensure you are healthy and well taken care of. If something happens to you before the show even opens, I’ll be the laughing stock, not to mention how I’ll be written up in the papers as the producer who allowed his star to live in unlivable conditions.”
My whole body began to shake as the cold penetrated my coat and pierced through my skin, chilling my bones. “All right,” I finally said. “Let me grab some things.”
I pulled away and hurried to my room to throw as much clothes as I could into a duffle bag. My hands shook as I reached for a pair of warm boots.
“This is really ridiculous,” Aaron remarked as he came to stand in the doorway. “It’s colder in here than it is outside. Are you sure your super hasn’t turned on the air conditioning by mistake.”
“I don’t know.” I shoved one last sweater into my bag and hurried past Aaron. “I just want to get out of here.”
********
“You look pensive,” Aaron said.
I nodded and continued to stare out the car window. The inexplicable chill of my apartment had sent me running out, but now that I was here, in Aaron’s car, I couldn’t help wonder where we were going; not in the literal sense, but in the emotional sense.
We passed the coffee shop Chace has so often taken me to. He was so sweet, and I still harbored the guilt of our last encounter. His eyes, his desire, his love for me all haunting me as I tried to figure out the confusing signals I’m constantly dealt with.
My head knew Chace was a good guy. He would be a faithful boyfriend, always ready to do what he could to make me happy. He’d always be there for me, sure, reliable. And any pragmatic would point to Aaron as the right choice. After all, what girl in her right mind would turn away a man as successful, handsome, and kind as he was.
The car turned a corner and the Empire State Building came
“Cold?” he whispered softly.
Glancing back, I shook my head. “The way she sings this song… It gives me goose bumps. I almost expect her to come down and kill me.”
“Come on,” he said as she finished. “Let’s get you home.”
The quick walk to my apartment was riddled with shop talk as Aaron highlighted a few of the changes he wanted to make; intensifying a lyric here, repeating a chorus there and eliminating a long, pregnant pause that broke the pace.
The moment I turned the key and pushed open my door, his topic of concern turned to me. “Hell, this place still hasn’t warmed up. How in the world did you manage to sleep here last night?”
Shrugging, I stepped inside the freezing apartment, reluctant to let Aaron know I’d spent the night at Eric’s place. I also didn’t want to let him think the cold bothered me so much. “It’s not that bad. You’re just cold because it was so hot at the Opera House.”
Before I could enter further into the apartment, Aaron grabbed my elbow and pulled me back. “Stop sugar-coating it, Annette. Something is wrong with this apartment. If you stay here, your voice won’t even hold until rehearsals are over. You can’t stay here.”
“Aaron, you’re exaggerating.” But even as I spoke, my teeth began to chatter.
Grinning and biting back on a full out laugh, Aaron looked at me. “Should I wait until icicles form on your lashes before convincing you that you need to come stay with me?”
“Aaron… I can’t always be at your place.”
“Did I not behave like a gentleman the other night?”
“Yes, Aaron, you were perfect.”
“Well, then?”
“All my stuff is here. This is my home. Besides, if I spend too much time at your place, I’m afraid it will end up changing things between us. I wouldn’t want you to come to expect anything of me.”
He took a hold of my hands and held them up to kiss one hand then the other. “My dearest, Annette, you're overthinking it. Not that I want to pull rank, but I am your boss, and as your boss I need to ensure you are healthy and well taken care of. If something happens to you before the show even opens, I’ll be the laughing stock, not to mention how I’ll be written up in the papers as the producer who allowed his star to live in unlivable conditions.”
My whole body began to shake as the cold penetrated my coat and pierced through my skin, chilling my bones. “All right,” I finally said. “Let me grab some things.”
I pulled away and hurried to my room to throw as much clothes as I could into a duffle bag. My hands shook as I reached for a pair of warm boots.
“This is really ridiculous,” Aaron remarked as he came to stand in the doorway. “It’s colder in here than it is outside. Are you sure your super hasn’t turned on the air conditioning by mistake.”
“I don’t know.” I shoved one last sweater into my bag and hurried past Aaron. “I just want to get out of here.”
********
“You look pensive,” Aaron said.
I nodded and continued to stare out the car window. The inexplicable chill of my apartment had sent me running out, but now that I was here, in Aaron’s car, I couldn’t help wonder where we were going; not in the literal sense, but in the emotional sense.
We passed the coffee shop Chace has so often taken me to. He was so sweet, and I still harbored the guilt of our last encounter. His eyes, his desire, his love for me all haunting me as I tried to figure out the confusing signals I’m constantly dealt with.
My head knew Chace was a good guy. He would be a faithful boyfriend, always ready to do what he could to make me happy. He’d always be there for me, sure, reliable. And any pragmatic would point to Aaron as the right choice. After all, what girl in her right mind would turn away a man as successful, handsome, and kind as he was.
The car turned a corner and the Empire State Building came
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