Played By Riggs

15

My plan was to do a quick tidy around my apartment, so that when James arrived I wouldn't have to welcome him into a mess, with heels dotted along the hallway and thongs on the radiator. However, things didn't go the way I had planned – did they ever? Keith dropped me home, and the second I stepped through my door, I heard James' car pull up outside. There were a few seconds in that I managed to grab the thongs and throw them in my room, however the heels would have to stay put.

I opened the door once he had knocked. "Hey," he greeted. "I hope you're in the mood for some pasta." He entered the living room and placed the large container on the coffee table.

"I've already ate."

"Well, that's a lie," James said, making his way into the kitchen to retrieve two bowls and two forks. I was tempted to make a snarky comment, like make yourself home, but I simply didn't have the energy.

"How do you know that's a lie?"

He didn't glance my way once, instead began pouring the pasta into the bowls and made some throaty noise at my question. "Something tells me you worked later than you expected. That you haven't even been home for long because if you had, you would have moved your red bra off of the sofa. Grabbing something to eat hasn't crossed your mind once."

He glanced my way this time, and I blushed bright red just in time for him to witness it. "What told you that?" I cleared my throat, grabbing the bra and placing it somewhere out of his eyesight. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Well, with the way his eyes watched me place it in the kitchen cupboard, I very much doubted that statement. Out of sight did not mean out of mind.

"I know what you're like," James explained with a gentle shrug. "I know that when your head is deep down in the paperwork, you don't think twice about eating. So, are you hungry?"

I croaked my answer in a petty way, with a petty attitude and a petty facial expression because I was truly stumped. And James knew, because he smiled to himself, so smug and so satisfied that part of me wanted to forget the whole reason I had invited him over in the first place.

But that was my pride and my ego talking. Tonight, I needed to keep those two devils out of the way. Out of sight. Out of mind. In this case? Yes. I had faith, and hope, lots of hope, that tonight the statement would foresee the devils stay locked in the back of my head, silent and still.

"This is delicious," I said, scooping more pasta onto my fork. "Did you make it?"

He nodded. "I'm glad you like it. I made it before I drove over here."

"You went to all that trouble of cooking pasta, just because you figured I was too busy to grab a snack?"

"A snack?" he growled. "Kels, I admire your work ethic, I really do. But, if it's starting to interfere with you getting your 3 meals a day, then perhaps you need to slow down."

"Yes, yes, I know. It's hypocritical of me, given our project. I never usually forget." I placed my empty bowl back onto the coffee table. "I'm not used to having someone remind me."

"You don't like it?"

"I loved it. I'm tired, but I swear I said it was delicious only a few seconds ago?"

James grinned at me. "Not the pasta, Kels. You don't like having me here, reminding you?"

"No..." I bit my lip briefly, debating my answer. Tonight was going to change things between us no matter what, so what the hell did it matter anyway? "I do like it. I'm just not used to it."