I Fixed Her AC at Midnight – “It’s So Hot, Take Off “-hongtran

I don’t care. This is a terrible idea. I know. We stood there inches apart. This was wrong. so wrong.
But she was looking at me like I was the answer to a question she’d been asking. If we do this, I said slowly. We need to be clear. You’re not my HVAC guy anymore.
You’re a man I invited here with a fake excuse because I wanted to see you. She touched my face. Is that clear enough? Yeah.
And for the record, I like the way you smell. I kissed her. Or she kissed me. Suddenly, we were pressed together. Her back against the closet door. My hands in her hair. Her robe coming loose.
Bedroom. She breathed. Are you sure? She pulled back to look at me. Ryan, I made up an AC problem to get you here. Yes, but she didn’t move toward the bedroom.
Just looked at me, hands on my chest, eyes searching mine. Unless you’re not sure, we can stop right here. I can pay you for the service call and you can leave and we can pretend this never happened.
I’m sure I said I’m just This is moving fast. 3 days ago you were a client now. Now I’m a woman who made up an emergency to see you again.
Her hands slid down to my waist, fingers hooking in my belt loops. Not pulling, just holding. We can slow down. We can just stand here for a minute. kiss, talk, whatever you need. What do you want?
Honestly, she smiled the first real smile I’d seen, not nervous or apologetic. I want you to pick me up and carry me to that bed like in movies.
But I also want you to feel okay about this so we can take our time. So, we did. We stood there in the closet doorway, kissing like teenagers, hands exploring but not undressing, building tension until it was almost unbearable.
Her lips were soft. She tasted like wine and toothpaste. Her body was warm against mine when I pulled her closer.
When I finally did pick her up, and she gasped, legs wrapping around my waist. Laugh breathless in my ear. It felt earned, like we’d waited exactly as long as we needed to. I woke at 6:00 a.m. to sunlight streaming through
floor to ceiling windows and Diane’s arm draped across my chest. For a moment, I just lay there trying to remember the last time I’d woken up next to someone.

Two years, three. The loft looked different in daylight, softer, more lived in. Paintings everywhere, books stacked on shelves and coffee tables. A whole life I knew nothing about. A life I just walked into and changed without really meaning to. Diane stirred beside me, opened her eyes. Hi. That wasn’t a dream. Good.
She stretched completely unself-conscious about being naked. Coffee or do you have to rush off to a service call? I should probably go, I said, even though I didn’t want to. Or you could stay for coffee. Maybe breakfast.
She propped herself up on one elbow, looking down at me. Unless this was a one-time thing for you, which is fine. I just need to know.
I don’t know what this was. Me neither. But I’d like to figure it out over coffee if you’re willing. I was willing. We sat at her kitchen island in t-shirts and underwear. She’d lent me one of her oversized art gallery shirts.
She poured coffee from an espresso machine that probably cost more than my rent. Made scrambled eggs that somehow tasted better than any I’d ever made myself.