What He Needs

Chapter 5

Jonathan's POV:

I wasn't sure if it was me, per se, but something was making Winston uncomfortable around me. I had noticed so in Montego's conference room after telling Winston that I was his partner now instead of his competition. Immediately after the statement left my mouth, I felt like a fool.

Winston looked at me weirdly, despite his small nod, before trying to get as far away from me as possible. It would've worked if we hadn't gotten on the same elevator again. The ride to the first floor was tense and silent; neither one of us knew what to say. Winston didn't acknowledge my existence until we stopped in the lobby. He looked cautious and stood a slight distance away from me.

"I'm not exactly sure how this is going to work, but we can exchange numbers so that we can discuss it at an appropriate time." He said, looking anywhere but in my eyes.

"Is now not an appropriate time?" I asked, slightly offended that he didn't seem to want to be anywhere near me. My question caught him off guard if the way his eyes widened was any indication.

"Oh. Now is fine, I guess. I just assumed that you had to be back at your office or something." He explained. A blush appeared on his face that made him look boyish. I smirked before leading the way for him to follow. In a matter of seconds, he was walking beside me.

"Now is good. It's almost lunch time so how about we grab a bite and discuss our new project?"

"Yeah. Yes, that's fine."

"Great. Did you drive?"

"No." He mumbled. "I actually live a short walking distance from here."

"So you're from this neighborhood." I reckoned. We stepped out of Montego's warm building and into the cold New York air, unconsciously stepping closer to one another for body heat.

"Yeah, and I know a great pizza spot. That is if you're up for pizza." He chuckled, causing me to do the same.

"Are you kidding? I was born and raised in New York; I'm always up for pizza." I replied with a playful nudge.

Why I was being so nice to Winston, I didn't know, but I decided not to question it further than that. Technically, it's not like I was a mean person. I just didn't always want to interact with other people. However, in the short time that I've met Winston, he had sparked my interest, and I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing yet.

"Then pizza it is." Winston replied with a small grin.

The walk from Montego's building to the pizza parlor was not as long as I had expected. The cold air had most likely turned my face blue, but I didn't mind as the parlor's warm atmosphere caused my being to melt. The strong scent of pizza and other oven baked goods was too heavenly to describe in words. I nearly moaned as I took in my fill of the cozy place.

"I had the same reaction the first time I walked into here as well." Winston laughed. "What would you like? I can order while you get us a booth."

"Two Hawaiian slices." I replied while pulling out my wallet, but Winston just waved me off.

"I got it."

"Are you sure?" I questioned, not exactly comfortable with him having to pay for my food.

"Yes." He grinned again. "But if I were you, I'd hurry to get a booth. This place can get pretty packed during lunch hour."

As he said that, I noticed the rush of people entering the parlor. After giving him a nod, I looked for a pleasant booth where we could discuss our work without too much distraction. I found one in the far corner of the parlor, close to the window and away from prying eyes.