Page 31 of What I Like About You

“What’d your girl have to say about that?”

“That I couldn't kiss her last night and then flirt with someone else the next day, and how I seem to have a nickname for everyone but her.”

“From the little I’ve heard, you do seem to treat her differently than you treat everyone else,” Miller commented.

“Because she’s special,” Dalton explained. “And I realize I’ve been shit about telling her that, but calling someone darlin’ is generic. She is not generic. I don't understand how she can be upset over that!”

“If it’s making her feel like you don’t treat her the same way you treat everyone else, then I absolutely understand.”

“But I treat her differently because I care,” Dalton insisted.

“And you just said you haven’t told her that,” Miller pointed out, leaning back in his own chair.

Dalton nodded guiltily, taking a large bite of his eggs. Just one more thing he should have told Zara a long time ago.

“What do you want from her?” Miller asked.

“What do you mean, what do I want from her? I want her.”

“But did you just want her to hear you out about the apology? Do you want a friendship? More than friendship?”

Dalton paused midchew. It was a hard-hitting question, but one that didn’t require much thought on his end. He knew what he wanted. Her. All of her. He wanted her friendship, her kisses, her laughter, her anger, all of it. He wanted to fall asleep holding her in his arms and he wanted to wake up still tangled up in her.

“Until you know what you want from her, all you’re gonna do is spin both of you in circles. If all you wanted was to apologize, then it seems you’ve done that. You can be civil with each other now, so let each of you move on. If you want her friendship, tell her, and then treat her like you would Drea and Leona.” Miller paused and looked Dalton in the eye. “If you want more…if you want everything she has to offer, then you need to show her. And I mean show, not tell. Your words mean nothing. You need to treat her in a way that will show her that she is the only thing that matters.”

“And how do I do that?”

“That I can’t answer for you, son. You’re the one who knows her and knows the way to her heart. If you want to show her you’re serious, then you’re gonna have to reach down deep and figure out how to let her know.”

Dalton sat there for a moment, finishing up his eggs, thinking about what Miller had just told him. He’d given Zara her perfect night once, but he needed to do it again. He needed to show her that she fit into his life and that in his life was exactly where he wanted her.

“Miller, what’s on the menu tonight?”

* * *

The womancurrently wrapping cotton bandages tightly around Zara’s body was named Rue, according to her name tag, and she had some of the strongest hands Zara thought she’d ever felt. She’d experienced a number of body wraps over the years, but had never been cocooned quite like this before. Lying there as still as possible as Rue worked her magic, Zara couldn’t help but be in awe of the strength this women had as she wrapped her up, pulling each piece of cloth tighter than the last. By the time she was wrapped up in the mylar and put under the thermal blankets, Zara was almost afraid she might not be able to move after.

She turned her head slightly to look over to Antwan who was lying on a table parallel to her. He seemed like he was in a trance, letting out a soft mew here and there as the esthetician working on him applied the same mask and wraps as Rue had on her. She was more than a little jealous of him right now, being able to relax that much, that quickly. She could desperately use a nap as it was. A fitful night of sleep, paired with everything first thing this morning, left her feeling like her emotions were on the tilt-a-whirl.

“I can hear you thinking from here,” Antwan muttered when they were finally all alone in the room. “Just stop. You’re killing my buzz.”

“Dalton kissed me,” she blurted out. While part of her was surprised she’d held it in this long and hadn’t told Antwan first thing when they got up this morning, she also hadn’t meant to word vomit it at him. So much for easing into that conversation.

“What?!” he exclaimed. She could hear the rustle of the mylar blanket as he tried to shift to get a look at her. “Girl, I can’t move to come over there and shake you for holding out this long, but start spilling now!”

“After dinner, he walked me back to the room, and as he was saying goodnight, he kissed me.”

“Zee, Elisabeth Shue gave me more details in the opening scene of Adventures in Babysitting than you just did.”

“Would you prefer I bust out in song and use the drapes as a veil?”

The heavy sigh that Zara heard him expel made her laugh a little. She knew the comment would annoy him, but she couldn’t help it.

“What I would like is to know what is going on in that pretty little head of yours. I assume since he didn’t have a handprint on his face this morning that you were okay with the kiss. So, was it good? Do you want more? Are you freaking out?”

“Yes, I am okay with the kiss. It caught me off guard, but…”she trailed off. How did she want to word this? “But it was a really good kiss. You know when you watch movies and the guy kisses the girl with so much passion you can just see it? That’s what it felt like. I just don’t know why he did it.”

“Because he has the hots for you? Duh.”