Imagining Us

Ch.46- Maybe Something Else

Porte looked at her, with a serious face, but amusement dancing in his eyes.

"What?" she asked, chewing away.

"I didn't realize how much of a sweet tooth you had," he noted.

"You ate two of my mini cinnamon rolls," Esi deadpanned.

Porte shrugged. "You ate two of them as well. Plus, you bought four more, and I just have a feeling that they're not for your roommate."

"They could be," she claimed.

He raised a brow to her.

"Fine. She's not a fan of them, so I'm taking one for the team," Esi confessed.

Porte laughed.

They were making their way out of the mall after that climb.

She had made it past the 14 foot mark on the wall before she'd glanced down to look at Porte, who was either filming or taking pictures of her of her certainly ungraceful climb.

Esi was okay with heights. She wasn't afraid of heights at that moment. It was the looking down that caught her off guard.

She hadn't looked down when she'd pressed the first bell because she wanted to get to the top, but two climbs after, she'd hazard a look down, and everything came rushing in at once.

Her distance from the ground, the fact that she wasn't as young as she was when she last did this, and.... how Porte was looking at her like a proud parent.

That had been enough for her to decide that she had accomplished something.

"Was it a video or a picture that you were taking?" she asked him.

"Both," he replied.

Porte stopped walking and unlocked his phone to show her.

Esi cringed. "Was that how I looked?"

His brows pulled together. "What's wrong with how you look?"

She pointed to his screen. "Do you not see that?" For some reason her butt looked even bigger in the holster, and she did not look equipped to be rock climbing.

"See what?" Porte asked.

She was about to say 'nevermind' when she saw his smirk.

"I saw everything. I had a very good view."

Esi smacked him on the arm.

"Did you get a new phone?" she asked, swiftly changing the subject, as they walked across the lot. It looked like a different color than what she remembered. "And why don't you have a case?"

He frowned as he  flipped the phone in his hand. "My other one fell...a few weeks back."

There was something about how he said it that made it seem like it didn't just fall.

"I should probably get a case," he murmured.

"We could go back in and buy one," she offered.

"I saw how you were eyeing those giant cookies. Don't use my phone case as an excuse," he teased. "If you want a cookie, we can just go back."

"Do you have a problem with my love of baked sweets, Porte Danvers?"

His eyes lingered on her mouth.

"That's not what my problem is right now, Elizabeth Solomon."

Breathe, she instructed herself, her chest heaving slightly.

He wouldn't rush her into anything, but he would flirt her to death.

Esi narrowed her eyes after she'd calmed a bit.
"Do you flirt with all your friends like this?"

They'd just reached to where he had parked when he turned to look at her fully.

He looked her right in the eyes.

"Just you. Only you."

It was the most matter of fact statement that she'd ever heard.

He eased her bags out of her and spun on his heel.

"Wait!" she exclaimed after her brain stopped short-circuiting. "Where are you going?"

What do you mean–''

"Have you forgotten our deal?" she asked.

Understanding dawned on his handsome face.

Porte raised his hands. "No no no.The deal was that you could drive my vehicle but we didn't say when."

"Really, Porte?" she declared, hands on her hips. "When–Where were you planning on letting me drive? Around the fountain in your yard?"

He glanced away from her and that was answer enough.

"I'll have you know that I'm a proper driver. I've had my license for over 10 years, plus I can even drive stick!"

"I'm not doubting your driving abilit—''

"You kind of are...Your face says it all!"

Their eyes locked as they fought a battle of wills.

Porte sighed–quite dramatically.

"At least it's not my A5," he mumbled under his breath.

"You have an A5? That's a convertible right?" she asked excitedly. "Maybe..."

He all but shoved the key in her hands.

"It's still too cold for a convertible," he said quickly.

Esi grinned as she made her way to the driver's seat.

She was glad that they could be like this again–laughing, joking with each other.

There was an ease to talking with him that she'd hardly experienced much of before, outside of her family and close friends.

That was what she'd missed over the last few weeks which was why she'd been glad for this day.

Esi was glad that she'd invited him along with her.

That they'd spent this time together.

It felt like a renewal of their friendship, and maybe, just maybe something else.

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A/N
Thanks to all those who read and commented on the last chapter. I truly appreciate it!

Enjoy this one, comment, vote share!

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