Be With Me

Chapter 5

The next evening.

Nina should have texted Sam first. She should have also changed out of her standard errand outfit of shirt and shorts to something less utilitarian looking but was worried she'd lose her nerve if she delayed longer. She'd already rang his doorbell twice but there was no answer. She was about to turn around, frustrated, when the door swung open revealing a shirtless Sam with damp hair and with only a towel wrapped around his lean hips.

"Nina!" he exclaimed, flashing an unsure smile.

"I-I can c-come back−" she stuttered, because the sexy, shirtless man with stubble combo was making her incoherent.

"No!" he burst out rather fervently.

Nina startled.

"I mean don't go away," he said. He reached out to take the box of pizza and insulated box she was carrying then jerked back, slapping a hand against the knot on his towel which seemed on the verge of unraveling. "Sorry. I'll just change. Come in please. I'll be quick," he called over his shoulder as he jogged briskly to the direction of a door in the corner of his unit.

Please, not on my account. She followed Sam inside his unit, trying hard not to stare at his taut backside as he left a whiff of bracing, clean soap smell on the way to his room. She kicked off her sneakers and arranged them near the door then deposited her packages on the coffee table.

She sat on the couch, glancing around. Sam's laptop was on the dining table. Beside it was a pile of paper, a ceramic mug. She tapped on her mobile phone and scrolled absently through Facebook as she waited for him with nervousness and anticipation. A few minutes later, Sam stepped out wearing a plain white shirt and gray shorts.

"I hope you haven't eaten dinner, yet" Nina said.

"No, I haven't." He sat on the accent chair, his posture stiff, his expression neutral.

"I brought you dinner." She pointed to the items on the coffee table.

"You shouldn't have gone to all the trouble−"

"It was no trouble. I wanted to return the favor." Nina rose from the sofa and walked towards Sam, closing the gap. She took a deep breath. "And return the feelings."

"Return the feelings?" he frowned.

Nina felt a frisson of alarm. Something seemed to be off. She'd hoped for a more enthusiastic response. "Last night when we kissed−"

"You were distraught−"

"You mean emotional?" Nina said, a bit sharply.

"I meant I shouldn't have taken advantage of the situation−"

"I was emotional but I was also conscious, coherent and cooperative. I meant everything I said and intended everything I did." Her ardent declaration was met with silence. Had she misinterpreted last night's kiss? Had she landed on a different page than Sam's? Was she making so much of a casual kiss talking about feelings? She took a step back just as Sam spoke.

"I did too, Nina. I mean, I still do. I couldn't stop thinking about last night."

"You couldn't?"

He shook his head. "The only thing that stopped me from messaging you today was because I wanted to give you time to think if you really wanted to move forward from where we were yesterday. And when I didn't hear from you today−" he trailed off uncertainly.

"It was extra chaotic today," she said, apologetic. "I didn't have much of a chance to text and when I had that one window of opportunity during a lull in the ER, I kept erasing what I wanted to say because I wanted to say it in person."