Page 3 of Unromance

Not that there was anything wrong with being single. In fact, she preferred it. The second part, however—well, she could handle that most days, but sometimes it was nice not to have to do everything yourself. The hard part was finding someone who wouldn’t expect more from her than she was willing to give, and it had been, well,a whilesince she’d found someone.

She tucked her book back into her bag, sipping as she took in the view. From fourteen floors up, the city looked like a winter wonderland with its fresh blanket of snow. Holiday lights twinkled in every storefront window, the city already fully decorated for Christmas despite Thanksgiving being a full week away.

“So,” a low voice asked.

She turned to find Elevator Guy leaning next to her, his forearms propped on the bar.

“What do two people stuck in an elevator with no exes they wish to make jealous do?”

She studied him over the rim of her glass. “Get on with their lives?”

He choked out a laugh. “Damn.”

She raised her brows—both brows, because unlike him, she couldn’t do just one. “You literally just left a date—” She jerked her head toward the now-empty corner of the bar where he had been sitting. “To come hit on me with that half-baked line. What were you expecting me to say?”

He studied her curiously. “It wasn’t a date.”

She surveyed him with a disbelieving look.

“If you must know… it was a breakup.”

Sawyer sat up straighter. “Oh. Shit.” She clinked her glass against his beer. “Sorry.”

He shrugged. “It’s alright. We were on a break for the past six months while she was in LA for work, so—let’s just say it was a long time coming.”

“Ah,” she said as if she got it, which she most certainly did not. She didn’t think people actually did “breaks,” just like people didn’t actually get stuck in elevators and end up falling in love.

Sawyer loved romance—devoured it—but she didn’t actually believe in it. At least, not in the head-over-heels, swept-away kind of way. She had once, and been proven very, very wrong. Now it was a fun fantasy, like the books she wrote—used to write. She hadn’t been able to finish one in two years. Her last book had hit shelves earlier this year, and right now, she should be promoting her next release. Except, she hadn’t written it yet. Didn’t even have an idea for one, much to her publisher’s dismay.

“Anyway,” he said with a heavy sigh, mercifully cutting throughher thoughts. “I’m gonna take a dating hiatus for a bit. But I wanted to be forewarned, y’know, if there was anything else I should be wary of to avoid any more accidental meet-cutes. And you’re clearly an expert, so—”

Sawyer couldn’t help but smile. She hadn’t felt like much of an expert lately, so his offhand comment felt like the height of flattery. “You could say that.” She braced her arms on the back of her barstool thoughtfully. “Well, elevators are clearly out to get you, so you should probably avoid them for a bit.”

He nodded seriously. “Easy. Stairs only. Got it.”

“And definitely no coffee shops,” she warned.

He pouted charmingly. “Really? Damn.”

“You gotta commit,” she said gravely.

“You’re right,” he agreed, taking a long pull of his beer. “Okay, tell me more.”

“If you go to an inn—”

“Aninn?!”

“Yes, an inn,” she said curtly, the ends of her words clipped. “Make absolutely sure there is more than one bed.”

He bit on his lip to keep from smiling, and Sawyer couldn’t help but notice he had a very nice mouth. Very kissable. Very bitable. Fuck, she needed to get laid. She pushed the thought away. “And God forbid we inexplicably bump into each other again: Run. Just run or we’re both doomed.”

He laughed, his cheeks dimpling. He was unfairly handsome. “Noted. I’ll keep gym shoes handy just in case.”

“I appreciate that.” Sawyer downed the last of her whiskey, laying a cash tip on the bar for Alex before pushing back. “Well, it was nicenotmeet-cute-ing you.”

She stood, but wasn’t much taller standing than sitting. In fact,she may have lost an inch. He straightened, and she had to tilt her head to maintain eye contact.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” he asked, his eyes intent on her.

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