Chapter 73: Get Him Naked
** Eli **
Thankfully, the rain came and went in quick bursts, and they made it back to the apartment just in time before the thunder turned deafening and the worst of it began.
"Gosh. That was a thrill," Harper gasped breathlessly as they stumbled into her entryway.
The jacket seemed to have helped her stay at least partially dry, though Eli was dripping spectacularly and almost slipped twice on the floor. He had to run a hand down his face before he could see clearly past all the raindrops clinging to his lashes.
"A good workout to help down all that dinner, I hope." He opted for snarkiness.
Harper laughed. Then she remembered the jacket from dinner still draped over her arm. "Oh wait, your suit ... Would the rain damage it?"
"It’s alright, I’ll send it in for cleaning tomorrow." Eli took the suit from her. Hopefully the cleaners could save it — he had gotten this new set tailored specifically for the evening, and he would’ve preferred to keep it as a piece of memento. But considering it had served good purpose in keeping Harper from getting completely drenched by the rain, any damage would be worth it.
"Right. Well ... Thanks for giving it to me, that was so nice of you. And I hope you’ll be able to wear it again, I like it a lot." She flashed him a smile. "What about your shirt? I can put it in the dryer for a quick tumble if you want, I have a no-heat setting."
At the reminder, Eli looked down at himself. Both his shirt and trousers were thoroughly soaked, still dripping onto the floor. "Um ... I should probably leave before I make a big puddle in your entryway." He chuckled a bit embarrassedly. "Sorry, this is not how I expected the evening to end, but—"