what you are saying?”

“No. Just that if anyone asks you, that’s the story.”

He liked that she wasn’t going to say they couldn’t talk or see each other at work. “We’ve got to have stories now? That sounds secretive.”

“You’re being cute again. It’s not funny though,” she said, but she did laugh.

“I’m being honest. I’m always honest. If someone asked me I would have said about what you did because it’s the truth. There is no story there to tell. You don’t like people talking about you. I get it.”

“I don’t. I dealt with enough of that at my last job.”

Which shed some more light on things he didn’t feel he could ask right now.

“I hate to say this because I had a great time with you over the weekend and was hoping to see if I could convince you to check out the adventure park sometime with me. But I have to be honest, being seen with me is going to make people talk.”

“I know. But we are just friends and that is what I’m telling everyone. Do you hear me?”

“Loud and clear,” he said. Only he was going to do everything he could to change that opinion of hers.

16

Bold Surroundings

Wyatt picked Adriana up bright and early on Saturday morning hoping to spend the full day with her.

The weather was nice, not too hot, and partially sunny. The mood hopefully followed suit...nice and mostly sunny.

He’d been shocked she was willing to let him pick her up and see where she lived, but he made the offer and she didn’t hesitate to text her address.

He pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, found her building, and made his way to the second floor of the four-story building. There wasn’t much character here and he was slightly surprised to find this was where she resided.

Her personality was so vibrant and fiery, he kind of expected her to live in a unique environment or one that wasn’t so...plain.

Red brick buildings all in a row like soldiers at bed check. Some of the balconies had chairs or plants but not all.

He found apartment 2D and knocked. She opened the door right away and he realized that she lit the dull hallway up herself.

“Hello,” he said, wishing he could pull her into his arms. Touch her. Taste her.

Anything other than standing there staring at her and wishing… like a schoolyard crush on his teacher.

“Hey yourself.”

“Can I come in or are you going to rush right out?” he asked.

“I need to get my sneakers on anyway. Come on in.”

He stepped past the open door and looked around. Her place was small but definitely suited her.

“Look at all this color. This is what I expected your place to look like,” he said. There were bold prints on the wall, throw pillows on the couch and chair, and an area rug over the hardwood.

“Thanks. It’s kind of drab and boring in the hospital. I like more bold surroundings when I come home. I guess some people like to be calm at home, but I need the chaos of it.”

“So your room is like this too?” he asked.

“You don’t think I’m going to show you, do you?”

“You’ve been in my room,” he pointed out.

She closed one eye at him and pursed her lips. “My place is pretty small. Living room,” she said, opening her palm and showing it off like a model on a game show. “This way to the kitchen.”

“More colors,” he said, noticing the plates, bowls, and glasses on the open shelves and behind glass-fronted cabinets.

“Yeah. Unlike your place.”

“I’m not there much,” he admitted. “It’s pretty much the way it was when I moved in. Basic works for me.”

“Ah, but we know you are anything but basic.”

He smirked at her. “I think that is a compliment.”

“If you want to take it that way.”

“I do,” he said back. “So, no more tour of your place?”

She let out a sigh. “Down this way is the bath and two bedrooms. And before you ask, I didn’t pick this place out for myself. My father found it for me.”

“I get the feeling there is a story behind that,” he said. “The question is if you are going to tell me or not?”

“The story is what you suspected. Bad breakup and I wanted to get out of the area fast. I didn’t want to live with my father while I looked for a place so he narrowed it down to two places for me and I did the rest online. I signed a lease sight unseen, but he checked it all out fully. Even all the security measures and probably grilled the property manager for hours.”

“Sounds like your father just wants to make sure his baby girl is safe.”

“I can’t tell you the last time I was referred to as a baby girl.”

He wanted to say that she was keeping the wrong company but knew that might result in being shown the door.

He decided not to reply at all and just followed her down the hall. The very small hall with three doors. One bathroom and two bedrooms. “You’ve got a bike,” he said.

“I do. I haven’t ridden it here yet. There aren’t that many trails close by and I’m not a big fan of riding on the roads.”

“We’ll have to go biking next. I know some great trails.”

“I’m sure I can shove it in the back of my car if I need to,” she said.

“We can work it out when it’s time. There are some great trails not that far from my place. I normally bike over from there.”

“I’d like that one day. But today is rock climbing. I can’t wait. I’ve never done it.”

“Seriously?” he asked. “With as active as you are you’ve never been rock climbing?”

“No. Not indoor. Or these setups. I’ve never been to one of these parks either. It’s definitely not somewhere I’d want to go alone and just never had anyone to do it with me.”

Now he had no problem saying, “Then you

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