Page 5 of The Valentine Agenda

"Oh honey." Sophie's voice softened. "You've got it bad."

Hannah sighed and stuck a forkful of salad into her mouth before she could say anything even more embarrassing.

Sophie looked at her. "I've watched you do this before. Remember Ethan from your yoga class?"

"That was different."

"The one you went to for six months even though you hate yoga? The one who was wearing a ring the entire time?"

"I didn't notice the ring at first," Hannah mumbled, though they both knew she had. She'd just convinced herself it meant something else—a family heirloom, maybe, or a commitmentto... self-marriage? Even in her head, the excuses sounded ridiculous now.

Sophie leaned back, her dark curls catching the afternoon sunlight streaming through the café window. "And Joe?"

"He was separated!"

"From his boyfriend."

Hannah winced. That one had been particularly embarrassing. "Okay, fine. Maybe I have a small tendency to..."

"Fall for completely unavailable men who barely acknowledge your existence?"

"I was going to say 'see potential where there isn't any.'"

Sophie's expression softened. "Look, you're my best friend. I love that you see the good in everyone. But James Park? He's not just oblivious—he's dating someone. Someone he parades through your building like they're auditioning for a reality show about aspirational power couples."

"They're not that bad," Hannah said, but even she couldn't keep a straight face. Just last week, she'd overheard Vanessa planning their couple's photoshoot for Instagram.

"Okay, maybe they are that bad. But haven't you noticed how he always holds the door for Mrs. Peterson when she's coming back with her groceries? Or how he—"

"Nope," Sophie cut her off. "We're not doing the 'secret heart of gold' list. Next you'll be telling me he rescues puppies in his spare time."

Hannah took a sip of her iced tea. "I know it's stupid. I know he's with someone else. I just... sometimes I catch him doing these small, kind things that nobody else notices, and I can't help wondering if maybe there's more to him than everyone sees."

"Oh, honey." Sophie reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "The problem isn't that no one else notices these things. The problem is that you spend so much time looking for hidden depths in unavailable men that you miss the available ones right in front of you. When was the last time you went on an actual date?"

Hannah opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again.

"That's what I thought." Sophie signaled the waiter for their check. "Promise me something?"

"If it's about joining your kickboxing class again, the answer is still no."

"No, although that instructor still uses you as a cautionary tale." Sophie grinned. "Promise me you'll stop loitering in the lobby every morning just to get a glimpse of James Park. You're not the building superintendent, and he's not going to suddenly notice you because you keep the lobby plants dust-free."

Hannah felt her face flush again. "I like dusting the plants. It's... peaceful."

"Then tidy your own apartment. Or better yet, come to kickboxing. Much better way to start the day than pining over someone else's boyfriend."

Hannah sighed, knowing Sophie was right but not quite ready to admit it. "I'll think about it."

"The kickboxing or the pining?"

"Both. Neither. I don't know." Hannah gathered her things, already mentally calculating how many hours until tomorrow morning's lobby crossing. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"Anytime." Sophie stood and pulled her into a quick hug. "Just remember—you deserve someone who actually sees you, not someone you have to make up stories about."

"I know," Hannah said, and she did know. She just wished knowing made it easier to stop hoping.

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