I couldn’t help but laugh as we stepped out into the parking lot. We hadn’t spoken casually since the day we had gone hiking and despite myself I had missed the interaction a little bit. I hadn’t quite forgiven him for the exchange at the look out, nor did I think that I was ready to. Regardless I still wanted to celebrate the day.

"I'm sorry," I said with a smile. "I don't mean anything by it, honestly."

"Sure, sure,” he said.

"I'm not sure if it is a good idea,” I said. "Shouldn't we wait? I mean we should spend the weekend preparing for Monday."

"That is what the meeting is for on Sunday afternoon,” he said. "You're allowed to relax every now and then, you know."

"What are you implying?" I said, turning away and walking forward with purpose.

"No, Blair. I didn't mean..." He laughed a bit keeping the mood light. "I’m confident that we are more than prepared to continue our case next week. You were amazing today after all. I mean it."

The compliment lightened my mood and the smile returned to my face.

I tried to hide it though.

"You weren't too bad yourself," I said. "Now I'm not saying it's a good idea, but what did you have in mind?"

It was a terrible idea.

I knew I shouldn’t have asked.

"Why don't I pick you up tomorrow morning and we'll spend the day at the beach. Just the two of us, no funny business. We'll do some fishing like we used to back at Lake Okoboji, then go back to my place for some home cooked seafood dinner."

I hardly remembered how to fish.

"I haven't thought about those summers in a long time,” I said. "It sounds like fun, but..."

"Blair," he said in a more serious tone. "I feel bad about before. I didn't mean to suggest that I wasn't attracted to you in high school. Of course, I was. How could I not be? But I was a stupid kid. The only type of girl I had any interest in... I mean I was just trying to get laid all the time. I didn't want anything to ruin our friendship."

We stopped walking next to my car. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his feet. I wasn’t sure how I felt about what he was saying, but I kept listening. He looked up at me.

"Blair, you were my best friend. I didn't want anything to ruin that."

He had already said that.

I needed to keep my eye on the prize, the job.

Why was it so damn difficult?

Aiden was why.

Aiden Player.

Was he playing me to get this job?

I fiddled with my car keys while I thought it over. Sensing my hesitation, he placed his hands gently on my elbows, pulling me in slightly. The gesture seemed genuine.

Shit.

Of course he had to touch me with his magical hands.

God the things they could do.

"Let me make it up to you, Blair. I promise I won't try anything. Okay?"

Maybe I succumbed to the adrenaline of the day, still riding the wave of euphoria from what I considered a small victory, I felt like I did deserve a day out. And I realized as I mulled it over in my head that I wanted that day to be with Aiden, even if it was just as friends.

I just couldn’t fight it.

"Okay," I said at last. "I'll go. It sounds like fun, but no funny business!" I chided as I pointed a finger at him.

"Promise," he said holding up his fingers as if making the scouts pledge.

As I turned towards my car door he wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me towards him in a playful neck hold, speaking with a husky voice directly into my ear. "Though you have to admit that you look super-hot in that dress. You never would have worn such a thing back in high school."

Jesus.

He immediately let go and dodged as I had swung to punch him in the shoulder. I laughed as he trotted across the parking lot towards his car.

"I'll pick you up around nine!" he called over his shoulder.

I laughed and opened the door to my car. It had been a long time since I had felt this happy. This tempted.

Kelsey hadn’t yet arrived home when I got there. I started the water to fill up the bathtub, tossing in a handful of lavender bath salts. I felt remarkably giddy, only partially for the way the day had gone in the courtroom, but also because of the conversation I had with Aiden. On top of the salts I added a capful of bubbles.

I deserved the extra pampering.

I pulled off my clothes, and threw on my robe heading to the kitchen for a cup of hot tea. Once the water came to a boil, I poured some over the tea bag and returned to the bathtub. I set the tea next to the bath tub on the counter, double checked the temperature of the bath and dropped my robe. I stepped in, carefully lowering my body into the warm suds and feeling the tension drain from my body. I let out a long sigh as the events of the past weeks drifted away.

All but one, tomorrow.

A full day with Aiden.

He promised not to try anything, he had said.

Maybe we could reconnect and pick up with the friendship that seemed so easy for us to slip back to, always hiding just under the surface. I seemed that no matter how bad things got, the under current remained.

I heard the apartment door in the living room and knew that Kelsey had arrived home. I could remain silent, but I knew that she would find me in the end. Being in the bath hadn’t been any hindrance to her in the past.

"Blair! I got it!" she hollered. I heard her rush down the hallway towards my bedroom. "Blair!" Her voice escalated into a shrieking tumble of sounds that may or may not have been words.

Got what, I wondered, sensing my relaxing bath disappearing out of reach. I debated whether or not to dunk beneath the bubbles to disappear. Finally I sighed and accepted my fate.

"I'm in here!" I called, slightly curious as to what had her so excited.

A moment later, she cracked the door open, her face peering around the edge of the door.

"Do you mind company?"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Without waiting for an answer she rushed in, closed the top on the toilet and sat down crossing her ankles. She had explained to me once that she avoided crossing her legs if she could as to prevent varicose veins.

"I’m so excited!" she said, wrapping her fingers around her knees and scrunching up her shoulders.

"I can see that," I said. "What's going on?"

"I got the call back,” she said. "You remember the audition that I went to last week?"

"I think so," I said. "The one for the German play?"

"Yes," she said. "I made first call backs! With this company that pretty much means that I got something. They just need to figure out which character to give me."

"That's great," I said. "Congratulations!"

I felt genuinely happy for her. She had been to so many auditions since we had arrived, I had lost count. She had explained to me once that an actor couldn’t count on just one audition. They had to play the numbers game and go to every one they could, regardless of the character. It made sense to me for the most part. She had tried to get an agent, but discovered that many of them wanted an actor who was already working. The draw back to that was that many parts were only available to those with agents. An unending and unfair cycle. I told her she needed a good lawyer.

"And to think," she gushed. "I almost skipped this one because of my hair. I thought there is no way they would cast a red head."

"What part is it for, do you think?” I asked.

"The American I think," she said and laughed. "Plus it makes sense, because apparently red heads were looked at as odd during Nazi era Germany. They need me in this play to really drive home the point."