Page 34 of Someone Exactly Like Me (Wounded Hearts 1)
She ignores my compliment. “I — well.” She catches a breath and continues walking. “It doesn’t really matter becauseIdon’t want anything more.”
“Who is this guy?” I take a large gulp of water from my bottle as beads of sweat gather on my forehead.
“Henry. We’ve been friends for a few years. He knows I don’t want anything more than friendship.”
Poor sap. He doesn’t stand a chance with her. And he never will with me in the picture. I have to have this woman. DoIstand a chance with her? For me, it can only be physical. I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses. There’s no way I’m good enough for anything more with her, no matter how much the feeling is growing inside me for more than just hot, passionate sex. Shit, I’m getting hard thinking about it.
She abruptly changes the subject and tells me her ideas for our trips she’s planned as we continue our hike. We reach the spot designated for tourists to take pictures with Hollywood sign behind us and I’m itching for a cigarette. I excuse myself and walk away since I know she doesn’t want to smell like smoke and I’m sure she doesn’t want to inhale it either.
When I return to her, she’s stretching her legs.
“Are you ready?” She reaches out her hand for my phone.
I tap in my password and hand it to her. “Where should I stand?”
“You stay right there. I’m going to move around to get as much of the sign in for you as I can. I’ll take a couple so you have a few to pick from.”
She takes some pictures, moves left, takes more, moves right, and takes more. Then she returns to me and hands me my phone.
“Take a look and make sure there’s something you like in there.”
I stand next to her, close, and flip through the images. “Yeah, these are good. I like them. You got some good ones. Thank you.”
“Of course. Now you can say you’ve been to the famous Hollywood sign.” When she looks up at me, the sun sparkles in her eyes.
“Here, let’s get one of us together,” I say, putting my arm around her before she has the chance to decline.
“Oh. Okay.”
I extend my arm and snap the camera several times. Her faint scent of vanilla enters my nostrils. Picking the best one, I send it to her phone.
“Are you ready to head back down?” she asks, taking a drink of water.
“After you.”
On our way back down the mountain, she continues telling me about different things to do in the area. Things we won’t be doing together, but she thinks I might enjoy.
As we drive back to her house, I’m not ready to end our day together. She pulls into her driveway.
“Come on in quickly and I’ll print out the itineraries for you.”
I follow her in and she takes off her shoes and socks. I do as well. While she sits down at her computer, curling her leg under her, I gaze out at the ocean.
“I’m hungry. Are you hungry?” I ask, hoping she is.
“Iam. An afternoon of hiking in the sun will do that to you.”
“What do you say to ordering food?”
“You want to eat here? With me?”
“I do.”
“Aren’t you tired of me by now? Yammering your ear off all day.”
“No. I enjoy your stories and listening to you tell me about all the things there are to do around here.”
“Um, okay. What are you in the mood for?”
