Page 52 of Do It With Me

“Yeah, what parts are that? Staving off bankruptcy?”

I shook my head. “Real community involvement. Coming up with plans for people who want to be part of those plans and who are willing to work with you to achieve your goals. The grass-roots stuff.”

Her head tilted, eyes narrowing slightly on mine. “I’m not sure if that’s another compliment or an insult.”

“If it’s an insult, it’s aimed only at me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been involved in something like that, so no. Your messages didn’t bug me. They inspired me.”

“Well, I’m glad I could help,” she said lightly. “I feel like we’ve somehow started talking about me again, though, so tell me something about yourself. Not about your business or teaching, but about you. Do you have any siblings?”

“No. You?”

“Nope.” She flashed me a wry smile. “I’m not sure if anyone else would’ve survived if there were two of me running around.”

I swallowed the bite I’d just taken and chuckled. “It would’ve been interesting, that’s for sure. My turn to ask a question. What’s your favorite form of exercise?”

Her nose scrunched up. “I would’ve preferred you asking about my favorite color.”

I shrugged. “That wouldn’t tell me much about you. Perhaps if I was artistic, but I’m not.”

“Alright, then. I suppose it’ll have to be yoga. Sometimes, I jog. You?”

“Running. Oddly, I also actually like the gym, and when I have time, I enjoy hiking and being outdoors.”

“You’re right, that is odd,” she teased. “Favorite music?”

“Soft rock,” I decided out loud. “I also don’t mind country too much, and when the mood takes me, I’m all about classic rock, the stuff from the seventies and eighties that I grew up on.”

“Mine is probably pop rock and country,” she offered. “I like classic rock too, though. My mom used to play bands like Journey so loud every Saturday morning when I was growing up that there was no escaping it.”

I chuckled. “My dad did the same thing. Except it was Sunday mornings for us.”

As we finished our food, we kept going back and forth on favorite things, pet peeves, and other random bits of information. Nothing deep or too personal, but by the time we were done eating, I felt like I had a much better idea of who she was. And I liked her even more for it.

“Would you like to come back to my place for dessert?” I asked before adding. “Ice cream. I do actually mean dessert.”

She flushed but laughed quietly as she shook her head. “Thanks, I would’ve loved that, but can we take a rain check? I’m exhausted.”

“Rain check, it is,” I accepted without pushing. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow night then, Ellora.”

“See you in class.” She smiled and stood up, bending over to brush the barest of kisses to my cheek. Then she was gone, clutching the strap of her purse as she strode confidently down the street.

I watched her go until she turned the corner, then finally dragged myself back to the car. Despite telling my driver that I’d be fine, I’d noticed him hovering just down the block. As soon as I stood up, he’d started inching forward.

Neither of us commented about it as I climbed in, exhaling hard after buckling up. As he eased away from the curb, I thought about the curve ball life had thrown at me in the shape of Ellora Kinney.

I’d closed multimillion-dollar deals, pitched ideas to rooms full of titans of industry, and won awards for developments people had written articles about.

Yet none of it had hit me like that woman did standing under a string of taco truck lights. Out of completely nowhere, I’d gotten in much deeper than I ever planned and yet I had absolutely no intention of trying to find my way back out.