Page 20 of Not My Problem

That was the thing we both knew on some level: neither of us would be able to resist this for very much longer. The attraction between us was too strong, so strong that it almost felt inevitable that we’d end up in bed together. But she needed time, and it was probably a good thing for both of us to tread carefully given the circumstances. I gave her the out and offered her a sassy smile.

“Wow, I guess you really liked my salmon.”

We both burst out laughing.

Gretchen

The thing I never would have expected was to like Zoe as much as I did. Not just the physical like, but the mental like. We just clicked, like two long-lost best friends.

Coming home to find her cooking dinner for me was a total mind fuck. I immediately imagined coming home to her every day. But as much as I reminded myself that she was only here temporarily, as much as I recited all the reasons we couldn’t work, that didn’t stop me from kissing her in the kitchen. I was sending mixed signals. I knew that, but my body and mind were on totally different pages where she was concerned.

When I came home Tuesday Zoe was once again in the kitchen making dinner. The house smelled like tomatoes and garlic and for a second I let myself imagine that we were together and she cooked for me every day. I liked that idea.

“I’m trying spaghetti,” she told me proudly.

“It smells great,” I said.

“I watched a YouTube about how to jazz up jarred sauce and make it taste more homemade.”

The jazzing up worked well because the sauce was complex and delicious. She’d paired it with a loaf of garlic bread that she’d picked up at the store as well as a salad.

“I’ve got an interview tomorrow for that shelter job,” she shared.

“Oh wow, that’s fast. What are you going to wear?”

I hadn’t seen her in anything but jeans and tank tops.

“I have my bartender outfit with me.”

“Bartender outfit?” I asked in confusion.

“Nice black pants and a white button down. I think it looks fancy enough for an interview.”

“Sounds like it.”

After dinner we mapped out the bus route between my house and the shelter. I offered to loan Zoe my car but to my surprise she didn’t know how to drive.

“How is that possible?”

She shrugged. “When you live in a big city like Chicago you don’t need a car. There’s always a bus or a train coming.”

“Seattle has a decent public transportation system, but if you stay here you’ll probably have to learn how to drive eventually.”

“I’m just going to get through this interview and worry about everything else later.”

By the time I woke up the next morning Zoe was already dressed and ready for her interview, even though it wasn’t going to happen until ten thirty. Her pants and blouse were neat and entirely interview appropriate. She’d pulled her hair back into a tidy ponytail that trailed down her back and added a touch of lip balm that made her shiny lips look even more kissable than normal.

“Do I look okay?” she asked with a flash of vulnerability I wasn’t expecting. She’d been calm about the interview up until now.

“You look good, very professional. Good luck on your interview today.”

“I’ll let you know how it goes,” she promised.

As I drove to work I wondered if Zoe would stay in Seattle if she got the job. It was technically just an on-call position, but if Julia the shelter manager liked her she’d likely move her into a permanent role when someone else left.

I was receiving the month-end close reports when someone knocked on my office door and stuck their head in.

“How’s it going with your house guest?”