Neera was prepared for that. “My mom would come around,” she countered. “I would talk to her. If we honestly cared about each other, she would see that.”
“What if it didn’t work? What if it’s just a passing phase, or I’m not what you really want?”
“No!” Neera had anticipated that too, but it still stung. She never wanted to hear Scarlet say that, or even think it. “No, you’re not a phase. You’re not something that’s passing. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. You’re the only one I’ve ever truly wanted.”
Scarlet took a wavering step back. She bumped up against the wall, her lips parted in astonishment once again.
“Don’t say that, Neera. You have no idea what saying that means. You’re young, and I’m not saying you’re too young to feel or to understand what you’re feeling or to know what you want, but I am saying that you have no idea what something like this could do to the people around us. You’re too young for me. Far too young. This would— it would just be a way to make myself feel younger.”
Neera didn’t even blink. “No, it wouldn’t. I know you’re trying to chase me away with reason, but it’s not going to work. Is that true? That you just kissed me to feel young?”
Scarlet wasn’t a liar. She hated lying.
“No,” she finally admitted in a whisper. “No, it’s not true.”
“I know. I know that because you’re not capable of feeling or doing something like that.” Neera could see how scared Scarlet was, and she knew she shouldn’t push any harder. “I have an interview tomorrow afternoon. Can I take that time off to go to it?”
Scarlet was visibly relieved at the change in conversation. This, at least, was something that she knew how to deal with. “Of course.”
“Can I come over and talk after you’re off at the store? We might both be able to think clearly then. I’ll tell my mom I’m going out with some old friends.”
“That’s exactly what I don’t want to do. To start lying, especially to your mom.”
“I know, but we need to talk about this. I’ll cover my tracks once, then never again. I know you don’t like it, but we need to figure things out. Actually, I could come here after my interview. There would probably be time. We could talk here after we close up. I won’t have to lie then. Is that alright?”
Neera could tell that Scarlet didn’t like it at all, but she nodded anyway. They did need to talk. They couldn’t just ignore what they’d done in the back before Neera’s phone interrupted them. No matter how badly Neera wanted to be nursing again, she was horribly disappointed at the timing of that call. Maybe Scarlet was relieved. How much further would they have taken things?
“Okay,” Scarlet agreed. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
She wasn’t the type of person who ran away from anything, but she clearly needed space. She left the changeroom quickly and went to the office in the back to gather her things.
Neera silently grabbed her purse out of one of the small lockers in the back, then left out the back door. She didn’t want that space or that time, but she didn’t want Scarlet to feel like she’d rushed or pressured her. If this was going to happen when she thought it would never, ever happen, then Neera wanted it to be right.
She was nervous about her interview, but she was absolutely a wreck as she thought about coming back to the store after and talking to Scarlet.
She might get one shot at this. One shot, if Scarlet didn’t talk herself out of it before she got the chance to try and make a case for them. She was going to make sure that one shot was the best shot she’d ever given anything in her life.
Chapter 8
Scarlet
Scarlet spent all day at the store, by herself, trying to keep busy. She’d already realized it was her go to when she needed to feel in control of things that she had absolutely no control over. No matter how hard she worked or how fast her hands flew, how overly helpful she was for every single customer who came in, how many new clothing lines she sourced and new designers she looked into, or how much inventory she completed, she couldn’t keep her mind from going to the one place she knew it shouldn’t.
Neera.
There was nothing to think about. Nothing to consider. Nothing to talk herself out of. What happened in the back of the store the day before should never have happened, and it could never happen again. They couldn’t date. Even if Neera wasn’t Elodie’s daughter, she was half her age and that wasn’t something that Scarlet saw ever working out, no matter how mature Neera was.
Scarlet had momentarily lost herself. It happened because she hadn’t been able to get that kiss at New Years out of her head. They should have talked about it. She should have set down some rules. Made it clear she wasn’t interested. Instead, she’d said nothing, and the tension had finally exploded between them.
When the door chimed to signal that someone else was entering, right near closing time, Scarlet was ready. She looked up, fully expecting it to be Neera, but her heart still surged with a strange joy that she couldn’t deny when she caught sight of her walking towards the counter where she stood.
The store’s lighting was excellent, and it brought out the red and gold highlights in Neera’s usually dark chestnut strands. She’d curled her hair for her interview, and the loose waves bracketed her face. She was wearing more makeup than normal, and even though she’d gone for a fresh look and nothing heavy, it was still obvious. Her lips were fuller, her lashes longer, her amber eyes a shade darker, with more smoke in their depths.
Scarlet nearly choked when she tried to swallow, and she had to reach out and grasp the front counter hard. She could remember so, so many moments of Neera’s life, but all those memories were at odds with this woman who stood in front of her now.
“How was your interview?” Amazingly, that question came out evenly, in an almost normal tone.
Neera’s smile transformed her. It was clear just how much she missed nursing. “It was really good. They have to check my references and they had a few other interviews, but I think they might call me back.”