Page 10 of She Was Made for Me

I’ve spent the past twenty minutes hitting on my best friend’s very lovely,very youngdaughter.

4

Violet

“Kyle!” Dad steps over and pulls Kyle into a hug, clapping him on the back. “I knew I could get you back here. It’s been too long.”

Kyle nods, half-heartedly clapping him back. This isDad’sfriend, Kyle? Last time Dad mentioned him, he said Kyle was a contractor up in Maine. Come to think of it, I might have met him briefly once or twice, but he certainly didn’t look likethis. He’d been wearing a pristine suit, clean-shaven, and very frowny.

I stare at the two of them, trying to put the pieces together. Last night I had dinner with Mom and Dad, and halfway through our entrees Dad casually asked me to meet him at some random address in Brooklyn Heights this morning, but wouldn’t tell me why. I deliberately arrived early so I could get my coffee fix after being kept up all night by Sadie and her boyfriend having unnecessarily loud sex (ugh), only to drop said coffee after one sip.

And when a guy asked if I was okay and if he could buy me another coffee, I found myself saying yes. He wasn’t my usual type; I tend to go for the clean, tidy, and styled look. This guy’s beard was a mess and his hair stuck out at all angles from under his cap, but he was tall and well-built, with deep green eyes, the kind that crinkled at the corners when he smiled. I could tell he was handsome underneath all that scruff, that if he tidied himself up, he’d be unbelievably attractive. And I certainly didn’t think he wasDad’sage. Sure, he had some gray in his beard, but I know guys in their twenties who are going gray. It wasn’t until he’d pulled off his cap to run his hand through that mop of hair that I noticed the gray on his temples, too.

Still, I felt myself drawn to him. He wasn’t just ruggedly good-looking, he was sweet and interesting, and he made me laugh after what’s been a pretty average week.

And, admittedly, it’s been a while since a guy has paid any attention to me. I mostly worked with men at DigiSwap, but I learned early on that the only way to be treated with any kind of respect was to act like one of the boys. If that helped me get a promotion, then so be it. (Spoiler alert: it did not.) But it meant that after a while, they treated me like one of the boys, too. And given that I hardly went anywhere outside the office… Well, let’s just say it’s been averylong time since someone flirted with me. Add to that the fact that I’ve gained a few pounds from working around the clock and never making time to exercise or eat properly, and I haven’t felt great about myself lately.

So it was nice to have Kyle’s attention. The way he tried not to check me out—and failed—was adorable, and I could be mistaken, but I think he was about to ask me out right before Dad arrived. He looked nervous as he started to speak, and I felt a thrill, wondering if I’d get lucky enough to see what was beneath the flannel shirt that strained across his broad, muscular shoulders. Is it wrong that I wish Dad hadn’t shown up just then?

Yes. He’s your father’s friend. That’s weird.

Kyle’s gaze clashes with mine before darting away, and my face heats.

“You remember my daughter, Violet?” Dad asks Kyle, completely unaware of the uncomfortable cloud that’s descended upon us as he retrieves a set of keys from his pocket.

Kyle presses his eyes shut, looking ill. “Uh-huh.”

I scrunch my nose, trying to suppress my disappointment at the misunderstanding, realizing it must be ten times worse for Kyle. I’m the daughter of his friend. Even I know that’s a no-go.

“And you remember Kyle?” Dad asks me.

“Um, I think so.”

“Great! Let’s go in.”

Dad starts up the front steps of a redbrick building. I follow, momentarily distracted from Kyle, who trudges warily up behind me. I still don’t know why Dad has brought me here, of all places, but when I reach the doorway, my thoughts skid to a halt and my steps falter.

“Wow,” I murmur, gazing around the entry hall. Much of it is in disrepair, but I can see the original beauty of the curved banister sweeping up the stairs to my left, the skylight several floors up bathing the landing in natural light.

“Yeah,” Kyle says in agreement, pausing next to me. We stand side by side in the doorway, close enough that I can feel the heat from his large frame, and we glance at each other. Our eyes lock for a brief second, then he tears his gaze away, clearing his throat as he continues into the foyer.

I sigh and take a sip of my almost-cold coffee as Dad turns to us, beaming.

“What do you think?”

“Not bad,” Kyle mumbles, inspecting a crack in the wall. “Definitely needs work.”

Dad nods. “That’s why you’re here.”

Right, so that explains Kyle’s presence, but I still don’t know whyI’mhere.

I open my mouth to ask, but before I can get the words out, Kyle says, “What time is the project manager meeting us?”

A chill runs down my spine as Dad’s gaze swings to me.

Surely not.

“She’s already here,” Dad says, grinning.

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