“Call 911!” a panicked woman’s voice yelled in the background.
There were other voices shouting now, too, growing in volume and intensity. People were rushing around us, hurrying to get past. As I felt the sudden heat coming from behind, I realized that the vehicles had caught fire after the collision, and were now blazing in the street, just a few feet away. Travis swiftly turned with me in his arms, pressing my back against the brick wall of the building, his body shielding mine. I closed my eyes, pressing my face into his chest as people pushed by us, trying to get away. I could hear the sound of sirens coming from the distance, and even as I felt the disorder in the air around us, I was intensely aware of him—the way the warm skin of his bare arms felt against mine, how big he suddenly seemed as he loomed over me, the feel of his cotton shirt beneath my skin.
It wasn’t until the sirens were turned off and I heard the shouts of the firemen around us that I realized that although Travis was no longer crushing me against the wall, protecting me, he still held me securely in his arms. I was trembling, and as I lifted my head from his strong chest, I saw that he was now looking down at me with concern in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, his voice deep and smooth.
“Yeah,” I said, looking up into his warm brown eyes, my voice breaking a little.
“You’re shaking,” he said gently.
I felt tears welling in my eyes, and I pulled away, only to find myself backing up against the wall of our office building. The accident, the fight we had yesterday, the tension between us during the last week—it all felt like too much to deal with right now. Travis was standing right in front of me, and we needed to have a conversation I wasn’t even ready to begin yet. We’d barely spoken to each other in days, I had no idea what he was mad about, and now that I was finally face-to-face with him, I felt too overwhelmed to even think straight.
“Maddy,” he said softly, reaching out so that one hand gently rested on my arm.
The tears spilled openly down my cheeks. “Travis, don’t,” I said, shaking my head to indicate this wasn’t the time or place for us to talk. I didn’t want him to see me cry, didn’t want him to see how much he’d hurt me. From the look on his face it was evident that he already knew though.
“Please don’t cry,” he said, he own voice breaking slightly.
I looked up at him through blurry vision—at the man I’d been in love with for so long. He reached out to wipe a few tears away, taking a step closer to me, and as he cradled my face in his hands, I knew that I didn’t want us to fight anymore.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured quietly. “Can we please go somewhere and talk?”
A police officer who’d arrived on the scene approached us, holding a walkie-talkie in one hand. “Are you both okay?” he asked in a gruff voice.
“Yeah,” I said, turning toward him as I brushed my tears away, and Travis gently, somewhat reluctantly, released me.
“Yes, we’re both fine, Officer,” he said.
“Did either of you witness the accident?”
“No, I had just crossed the street. I only heard it behind me,” I said in a shaky voice.
“I didn’t see exactly what happened either,” Travis replied. “I was walking out of the building.”
“All right, why don’t you both move along then. We need to cordon off this area for the investigation.”
“Come on,” Travis said, gently placing his hand on the small of my back and leading me away from our building and the accident. I didn’t ask where we were going, and I wordlessly let him guide me down the street. None of this was making any sense. Travis had been mad at me all week. He even looked angry when he saw me as he walked out of our office building this morning. Now he was suddenly back to his old self? He was acting almost as if nothing had happened.
We walked past the coffee shop and headed to a little park around the corner. Travis guided me over to a bench, his hand barely grazing my back, his arm slightly around me, and for some reason I let him walk with me this way the entire time. To anyone else it must look like we were a couple—not two people who had barely been speaking to each other and had just gotten into a nasty argument yesterday.
I sat down, leaning back against the wrought iron, and Travis sat beside me, so close that our legs were almost touching. He placed his hands in his lap and clasped them tightly together, looking rather tense. I glanced down and noticed how strong they looked, how the tendons bulged out from beneath his skin. I waited as he seemed to mull over where to begin. “I saw that car speeding around the corner just as you stepped up onto the sidewalk,” Travis said quietly, finally looking over at me.
I didn’t respond right away but watched as he studied me carefully, his face uncertain. “I didn’t even notice the car; it just happened so fast.”
Travis’s deep brown eyes focused on mine. “I was so afraid that something was going to happen to you,” he said softly.
My heart caught in my throat. He’d been so mad at me, why was he acting like he cared again now?
“Look, I owe you an apology for yesterday—for all of my behavior this week,” Travis continued. “I had no right to be angry with you, and I really wasn’t trying to make you look bad in front of everyone else at that meeting—I can’t imagine what you must think of me. My behavior has been inexcusable.” He shook his head with frustration, an anguished look on his face.
Looking down as I let his words sink in, I felt unsure of exactly what to say. He was admitting that he’d been treating me badly; he was apologizing for it. That still didn’t explain why he’d suddenly acted this way. What was he so mad about? His behavior lately could be described as nothing but cold. I hadn’t done anything to him that I knew of. He was still friendly with everyone else.
“I guess I don’t understand why you were mad at me,” I said quietly. “I thought we were friends and….” My voice trailed off. Everyone else seemed to think that we were more than friends, and I’d considered the possibility as well. All those stolen moments, where the two of us had somehow ended up alone—certainly it wasn’t all coincidence. But after this week, after barely speaking, I didn’t know what we were anymore.
“I know,” he said gruffly. “That’s my fault. I misunderstood something that I heard you say. I thought you were talking about me, and I completely took it the wrong way. But still, that was no excuse for me to behave the way that I did.”
I nodded, trying to think of what he possibly could have misunderstood. Everything had been perfectly fine when he drove me home from happy hour last week, when I saw him the following morning. Then suddenly at lunchtime he was barely speaking to me.
“Elizabeth explained it to me last night,” he continued. “I thought you’d said something insulting about me, and it turns out you were talking about that annoying guy Marissa had been dating a while back.”
I vaguely recalled talking to Elizabeth in the lunch room the other day. What had I said again? That Gym Guy was just a dumb jock? Apparently I was right when I’d heard someone out in the hallway. Out of all of my coworkers, of course it had been Travis. “I wish you would’ve just talked to me about it,” I said, feeling hurt. “I didn’t understand why you were being so mean to me.”
Sadness crept into his eyes as I looked back up at him. “I should have; I know. I just thought, you and me, and it caught me off guard….” He trailed off awkwardly, and I waited for him to continue. “I know we were just friends Maddy, but after you said that, I was completely taken by surprise at how much it upset me. I just couldn’t ignore the way I felt about you anymore.”
My mouth fell slightly open, but no words came out. Travis looked down but glanced back up at me, trying to read my reaction. How he felt about me? I stared at him, completely puzzled. He’d been acting like he hated me. “What do you mean?” I asked, my mind still in a whirl.
He looked down and didn’t immediately answer, but then he met my gaze once more. “I like you as more than just a friend
, Maddy.” He waited a beat before continuing, and I wondered if he could hear how loudly my heart was beating in my chest. “I’ve been interested in you since the first day we met. Sometimes it seemed like there might be something between us, but since we work together, I figured I’d just see how things played out. Then when I thought you weren’t interested in me at all, when I overheard you talking to Elizabeth, I told myself we shouldn’t even be friends. I thought it would be easier that way, and I know I should’ve just talked to you, because here all I’ve been doing is pushing you away and upsetting you.”
My breathing hitched, and I glanced away as I felt tears well up in my eyes. I blinked a few times, trying to keep them from spilling over. He was angry before because he thought I didn’t feel the same way about him? He wanted to be more than friends? All this time, I’d held back my own feelings. I’d noticed every little thing he did, every word he said, yet thought that he only saw me as a friend. I tried to collect myself as my thoughts raced through my head, and I eventually turned back to meet his gaze. His own expression was tense but his eyes grew wide as they saw my own tear-filled ones.
“Maddy, I never meant to hurt you,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m so sorry.”
My heart pounded in my chest. Travis actually had feelings for me. I opened my mouth to speak but hesitated as I wasn’t sure what to say. Would I tell him how upset I’d been? Or that I had feelings for him, too? My eyes once again met his. How could I be upset at his behavior, at his trying to avoid me, when he finally told me what I’d wanted to hear for so long? He wanted to be with me just as I wanted to be with him. He had no idea that I felt the same way.
“Travis…I’ve always wanted to be more than just friends,” I said at last, relieved that my truth was finally out there. I was admitting to him what I’d been reluctant to admit even to myself.
Relief crossed his face, and then he broke into a warm smile. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that,” he said softly.
I let out a small laugh for the first time in days. “I think I might have some idea.”
Travis reached over and gently took my hand. His warm touch burned into my skin, and for the first time ever, he actually looked a little nervous.
“Will you let me take you to dinner tonight?” he asked, his voice deep.
I couldn’t look away from him. My eyes were locked in the warmth of his. A car could come crashing right through this park, and I would never notice it. His face was the only thing that I could see.
My heart was beating so rapidly that I could barely speak.
“Okay.” My reply was no more than a whisper.
Chapter 14
That evening I stood anxiously watching the window and glancing at my clock as the minutes crept toward 7:00. I’d changed outfits several times, called Marissa and Emily to discuss what to wear, and wondered if I was making a mistake by dating a coworker. Travis and I had spent so much time together already, but going out on an actual date completely changed things between us. A few minutes later I watched as he pulled up to my apartment building in his black BMW. As I felt the knots relax in my stomach, I didn’t realize how nervous I’d been. It somehow felt better now that he was finally here.
The doorbell rang, and I slowly walked to the foyer, not wanting Travis to know I’d been standing around nervously waiting for him. I opened the front door, and despite my knowing it was him, felt my breath catch as he stood there before me. His large frame towered over me, and his dark eyes gleamed as he looked down with a wry smile. He almost looked a little sheepish, like his actions this week and our conversation this morning had left him somewhat embarrassed. He had changed from the clothes he’d been wearing earlier and now had on grey trousers and a navy blue button down shirt. I saw the silver watch peeking out from beneath his sleeve and was transported back to the very first time we met. I couldn’t have imagined then that he’d end up standing on my doorstep all these months later, ready to pick me up for our very first date.
“Hi,” I said with a smile, looking up at him.
“Hi.” His own smiled widened.
This was the first moment we’d had alone together since talking in the park this morning, and it felt a little surreal for him to be here. I started to realize that I was just standing there staring at him, but Travis seemed just in awe about our sudden change in circumstances as he wasn’t saying anything either. Things between us felt both comfortable and new at the same time. Neither of us had to be guarded anymore, or act like we were just friends. I found myself wondering if at the end of the evening he would kiss me goodnight. Ah, first date anxiety. Even though we’d spent time together for months and been on countless “dates” if you will, tonight everything was different.
“You know, it’s funny, after all this time, I’ve never actually been to your apartment before,” he said slowly, drawing out the moment between us. His eyes twinkled, and I knew that he was teasing me a little.
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
“Skiing? Yes. Zip-lining? Yes. But picking you up for dinner?”
“Well, you never exactly asked me before,” I said, tilting my head slightly as I looked at him.
“That was definitely my mistake,” he said, his voice deep. “Are you ready to go?”
“All set,” I said softly.
I grabbed my purse from the table in my foyer and stepped out to lock my front door. Travis’s gaze was on me as I tucked my keys into my bag, and he took my hand as we walked out of my apartment building. It was such a sweet gesture, and I felt an unexpected surge of pleasure at walking together hand-in-hand. He glanced down at me and smiled, and as I met his brown eyes, I knew that he was feeling the same thing.
We drove to Old Town Alexandria and found a parking space near the waterfront. Travis expertly backed into a spot on the side of the street and then strode around the front of the car. I’d already opened the door, but he took my hand to help me out. His large hand completely enveloped mine, and once again I noticed the warmth of his skin. He let go after I stood up so that he could close the door, but his hand grazed the small of my back as I stepped onto the sidewalk.
We walked to my favorite seafood restaurant, and the hostess guided us to one of the intimate semi-circle booths that faced the waterfront. Looking out the huge glass windows that made up the entire back wall of the restaurant, we had a perfect view of the Potomac River. I slid in the booth, taking in the delicate tea-light candles on the table and crisp white linens, followed closely behind by Travis. He sat only a few inches away, and I thrilled at the thought of being so close to him. I could smell the scent of his aftershave, the soap on his skin. The warmth of his body seemed to just radiate off him.
“I hope this is okay,” he said, turning toward me after the hostess walked away. “This is one of my favorite restaurants.”
“Mine too.” I smiled at the coincidence. “You never mentioned that you liked to come here.”
He shrugged and gave me an easy smile. “Well, I seem to run into you everywhere else. I guess I figured I would have seen you here if you liked it so much.” His dark eyes twinkled in the low light, and I could tell that he was teasing me.
“Maybe we were here at the same time and didn’t even know it. How’d you find this place anyway? I grew up coming here, but you’re not a local….”
“I didn’t realize it was a well-kept secret,” he joked.
“Oh, it’s not,” I said with a smile.
He ducked his head down closer to me and grinned, almost as if he were embarrassed and amused that I was the one teasing him for a change. I gazed into his warm brown eyes and had the sudden urge to reach out and touch his face, closing the distance between us. As if he had been reading my mind, Travis reached out and draped his arm on the booth behind me, close but not quite touching my skin. It was an intimate gesture, making it feel like we were in our own little world. After such a tense week of barely speaking to one another, and after months
of wondering what was going on between us and if he felt something too, I felt a tangible relief for everything to finally be out in the open.
The waitress arrived then with the wine list and menus. Travis took his arm from behind me to take the menu she handed him, and I felt briefly disappointed that she had just interrupted the moment between us. After briefly consulting with me, Travis ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. We decided to share the warm crab dip appetizer, and he ordered crab cakes for his entree, while I selected grilled salmon with mango salsa. A few minutes later the waitress was back, opening our bottle of wine and setting a basket of steaming bread on the table.
“So, you asked me how I found this place,” Travis said, taking a sip of his wine. “I actually discovered it shortly after I moved here. I came to Old Town just to wander around the waterfront one Sunday, and I ended up eating here. They have a great brunch.”
“I love walking around Old Town,” I said, completely understanding why he would be drawn to this area. It was beautiful to walk along the water looking at the boats and fun to stroll up and down the streets to check out the various shops and restaurants. There were some unique shops mixed in with the usual chain stores. When I was growing up it had been mostly all small businesses, but like everything else, the area had started to change over the years. Now there were probably an equal number of stores that you could find at any mall mixed in with the independent businesses. “But I usually just come here in warm weather.”
“This isn’t warm?”
“Sure it is,” I said with a laugh. “I just meant that I haven’t been here recently. I don’t like to come here as much in the winter.”
Travis laughed, too. “I know, I was just teasing you.”
“I know,” I said with a smile. I loved that the easy banter was back between us. This felt just like how things used to be. We chatted easily through dinner, almost like our old selves, and our conversation this morning and fight yesterday did not come up.
First Sight Page 16