Page 27 of Mr. February

“I’m hanging up now,” Jenny sang out.

“Love you! Call me later!”

Jenny finished getting ready. Luckily, she was having a good hair day, and her skin was relatively clear, so it only took a few minutes to freshen up. She traded out her hoodie for a fitted blazer, so she’d look slightly more polished, but there was no time to change her T-shirt and leggings.

As she swapped out her shoes and put on a chunky statement necklace to zhuzh up her outfit, her eyes strayed towards her laptop bag. She resisted the pull, but it occupied so much of her mind that she almost plowed into Wade when she opened her bedroom door.

“Wow, you look great,” he said as he took in her appearance. “Not that you didn’t look nice before. But the jacket, and the lipstick, and the jewelry. It’s… nice,” he finished lamely.

Jenny took a deep breath to calm her heart rate. It raced after her wild conversation with Gloria and the rush to get ready.

“Thanks. I’m ready if you are. Sorry I’m late. It doesn’t normally take me so long to get ready, but Gloria called, and I lost track of time.”

“Let’s get checked in then.”

Chapter 8: As Long as He Heard Buzzing, He’d Know Where She Was

WADE

Wade led the way through checking in for the conference. After getting their packets, they were directed to other lines to sign up for restaurant hops, off-site events, sight-seeing tours, and other activities. Jenny seemed surprised at how busy it was already, and Wade was grateful he hadn’t underestimated the demand.

Jenny was lost in thought and seemed to have a difficult time concentrating. She blamed it on being sleepy from the car ride, but she was preoccupied. Wade wracked his brain to figure out if he had pushed her away.

They finished checking in and returned to their suite to relax for a couple of hours before the conference started. Wade made casual conversation in the elevator, but Jenny was noticeably more distant than in the car ride.

“Are you worried?” he blurted out after they exited the elevator.

Startled eyes met his, and Jenny stopped in the hallway to gape at him.

“Worried about what?”

Her confusion seemed genuine. If she wasn’t worried about sharing the suite with him, why was she giving off such a weird vibe?

“Sharing the suite with me. I know—”

“Nope, I’m not worried,” she said as she resumed walking.

Wade followed helplessly as they plodded down the long corridor to their suite. He heard a strange grinding noise followed by an almost animalistic growl.

“Are you okay?” Wade glanced at her as they walked.

“What? Yes.”

“Oh, okay. I thought you said something. Or growled?”

Jenny giggled.

“No, no growling here.”

“Oh-kay,” he drawled, which only made her giggle again.

He quirked a grin at her, and she blushed. What was going on with her? First, she would barely look at him and was lost in her own world, and now she’s giggling, blushing, and making strange noises.

As they approached their suite, he kept the conversation going so they wouldn’t immediately separate to their respective rooms.

“Are you excited about the restaurant hop?” he asked.

Jenny stiffened.

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