“You zombie walked into your room, and I crashed on the devil couch.” His eyes search my face and then he adds, “Maybe I shouldn’t have stayed? Was that presumptuous? I was a little worried because you seemed like you were sleep walking, and you said something about naked lightsabers, which was really weird actually, because Leon and I had this experience one night . . . well, we don’t really talk about it. So it was a weird coincidence.”

Zombie just about describes the state of my mind at this very moment. How is this possible?

Alex misconstrues my continued silence, and probably bizarre facial expressions. “Are you sure you’re all right? Oh.” His face clears. “Is it the job? You were so calm about it yesterday, but maybe now it’s catching up? Have you decided what you’re going to do next?”

I laugh, a little hysterical. Am I upset? No. Do I think I might cry anyway? Yes.

“I’m not upset. I mean, I don’t know what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, which is scary but also freeing somehow. Maybe I’ll get a new job somewhere and design things on the side. Maybe I’ll make a go of design full-time.” I move back into him, wanting to feel the warm strength of him against me. I put my hands on his shoulders. “Maybe I’ll take over the world. I don’t know. I do know what I’m doing tonight.”

His brows lift. “Tonight?”

I nod. “Dinner. We’re going out to dinner.”

“Right. Dinner.” His hands move to my hips and squeeze. “Do you think we could have breakfast first though? I’m starving. But dinner later is cool too. I do think I asked you out last night. Or I meant to.”

I slide my fingers up to where his shoulder meets his neck and rub my thumbs over the tendons there. “Or we could stay in tonight.”

His smile is smooth and warm. He leans his forehead against mine. “We could.”

Then he leans in, kissing my bottom lip, and we lose ourselves in discovery. Rediscovery.

When we part again, we’re both breathing heavily.

“Should we check on your neighbor?” Alex asks. “She was sleeping when we left last night, but maybe we should make sure everything is okay. Maybe we can share some breakfast.”

I nod. “Yes. Let’s do that. You did buy enough food for this whole floor.”

He laughs. “And then you can tell me your plan to take over the world.”

I grin and tap him on the shoulder. “Only if you tell me the whole naked lightsaber story.”

He laughs. “How did you—?”

I pull him closer. “Tomorrow.” I want more kissing first. “I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”

The End

Get ready, friends! An all new time-themed rom com is coming your way October 2021!