Switch

detergent, then started the cycle. 'What do you do,

exactly?'

Eric leaned back in his chair. 'I'm an E.R. doc.'

Bing, bing, bing! We have a winner! Hot, funny and a doctor. My mother would be so proud.

'What's that like?'

He looked a little surprised. 'Busy. But exciting.'

'Saving lives and al that? Lots of pressure,' I said,

watching his mouth form the words as he spoke.

'Yeah,' Eric said after a second or two of silence. A

'Yeah,' Eric said after a second or two of silence. A

shadow passed over his face, but only briefly. 'Lots of

pressure. What do you do, Paige?'

I told him without making it sound as if I was at al

ashamed of not being a doctor. If Eric wasn't as impressed

with my career as I with his, his eyes didn't give it away.

Neither did his mouth, which held on to his smile.

The conversation flowed as we washed, dried and folded

our clothes.

'I bet that color looks great on you.' He pointed at the

blue shirt I'd puled from the dryer.

I held it up in front of me. 'You think so?'

'Yes. It matches your eyes.'

I'm hardly ever at a loss for words, but this time I only

managed to swalow, hard, and say, 'Thanks.'

He scrubbed the back of his neck with a hand and looked

utterly endearing. 'Too much?'

'No. I'd be a liar if I said I don't like compliments.' To save myself from having to look at him just then, I bent to

save myself from having to look at him just then, I bent to

pul more laundry from the dryer.

'And you're not a liar?'

Over my shoulder, I said, 'No. What about you?'

I'd meant it lightheartedly, the way the entire conversation

had been going. So when Eric didn't answer, I straightened

and turned to face him. The look on his face stopped me

from speaking.

'I know where it was.' He snapped his fingers. 'Where I saw you for the first time. It wasn't the gym.'

I drew in a breath. My hands, ful of warm, soft laundry,

tightened. My tongue slid along my lips as I considered

what to say. 'No. It was the Mocha.'

'No. That's not it. Have we ever met in the Mocha?' He

laughed and covered his eyes with his hands for a second

before looking at me again. 'I'm sorry. I meet so many

people, sometimes I forget where I met them. But believe

me, I wish I did remember seeing you there.'

'We didn't actualy meet. I just saw you. You were sitting

'We didn't actualy meet. I just saw you. You were sitting

by the window, writing something. Very serious. You

wouldn't have noticed me, anyway. You were busy.'

'I should've noticed you, Paige.' His smile let me know