I Remember You

Chapter 18

Lily had managed to get home with a few minutes to spare and was racing around like a mad woman cleaning the clutter that had managed to spill into the main room from her bedroom. She was shoving the last of the dirty clothes in the hamper when the street door to the house buzzed.

Lily could have buzzed him in, but instead, she raced down the central staircase and opened the door herself. Ms. Epstine was standing in her doorway, waiting to see who was visiting.

"Hello," Lily greeted as she stood aside for Finn to enter.

As soon as he entered the lobby, he noticed Ms. Epstine and he met her serious look with one of his own, and if Lily hadn't been so nervous, she probably would have found the situation funny because it looked as if Ms. Epstine had met her match.

"Ms. Epstine, this is Finn Baxter, he is a co-worker," Lily introduced.

"Uh-hu," she muttered before backing into her apartment and closing the door.

"Are we talking here?" Lily asked, looking up at Finn. It felt as if he was filling the entire space of the small lobby area.

"I thought we could ride out to the beach and get something to eat," he suggested.

"Sure, if you wait here, I'll grab my wallet and keys," she agreed, turning and bolting up the stairs without giving him the option of joining her.

When she rejoined him, he held open the door for her and led the way to his truck, holding open the door for her, making it feel like a date. Lily took a deep breath after he closed the door behind her and forced herself to lean back in the seat while telling herself it was not a date, but her nerves were winning as she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans.

When he opened the door and joined her, she inhaled deeply, catching his scent, he smelled like soap and fabric softener, not exactly the scent of romance, but at least he was clean. She started to wonder what kind of fabric softener he used, and then she started to wonder if he did his own laundry, maybe Gretchen did it, perhaps it was in her job description. She wondered what else was in her job description.

"Why are you frowning?" Finn asked as he pulled out into traffic.

"Oh, no reason," she smiled, cursing the way her mind wandered when she got nervous. "Is this a date?" she blurted, the nerves winning.

He braked hard at a stop sign and looked over at her. "NO!" He looked alarmed, and it made Lily laugh, and she held up her hands. "Alright, no need to panic, I only wanted to make sure, because it feels a little bit like a date."

"It's not," he ground out, punching the gas.

"O.K., I got it, not a date." She nodded and because she wanted to watch him panic a little bit more, "So that means there won't be a good night kiss, and you won't be staying at my place tonight?" Even though she was joking, her heart raced at the words as she said them.

She watched a muscle in his jaw jump as he refused to acknowledge her comment. "Are you always this easy to antagonize?" she asked as she leaned forward and adjusted the air vent.

"Not usually, you just seem to bring out the best in me," he said, copying the earlier comment she had made when she had been trying to convince him to use his leg as part of the show.

"Then we're even. Have you thought any more about letting Mason use your leg as part of the show? Is that what you wanted to talk to me about because if you did, I still think it is a good idea," she babbled.

"No that's not what I wanted to discuss. Where do you want to eat?" Finn asked, changing the subject without answering the question.

Lily sighed. "I don't care, you pick. Maybe Gretchen made enough for all of us." She rested her head, against the headrest, and watched the scenery along the highway as it passed.