Page 43 of Lessons in Heartbreak

While she was changing again, I helped myself to a glass of ice water and rooted through her pantry until I found a bag of microwave popcorn. It was popping furiously when she appeared again.

Becks, the boutique manager with a keen sense of fashion and a fierce desire for me to call her again, had taken my final challenge to heart.

The lounge set was pure decadence—long, flowing pants in ivory and a matching turtleneck top that was slightly cropped, showing a hint of her toned stomach. The entire thing looked sleek and expensive on her.

“What is this?” she asked, gesturing to the last outfit with a hint of a smile on her face.

“I told her I wanted something comfortable. Sexy without being over the top, and expensive. So you felt like you were doing something naughty just by wearing it.”

Ruby’s cheeks held a hint of pink. “She did very well. I’ve never owned anything made out of cashmere.” She ran a hand over the overly long sleeves. “I don’t know when I’d actually wear it, though.”

“For a night just like this one,” I told her. “Where you’ve got a man in your house, and you want to teach him all about the old-timey romance movies you love.”

“It’s a period movie,” she corrected. At my confused expression, Ruby shook her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a slightly self-conscious laugh. Then she saw the popcorn in the microwave and the giant bowl waiting on the counter.

“Oh no, you’re not,” she said, eyes widening.

“Yes, I am. You’ve got a date for movie night tonight, birdy. I hope you don’t mind sharing your popcorn.”

Ten minutes later, we were on the couch, my legs stretched out on the matching plush leather ottoman. Ruby was tucked into the corner, the popcorn bowl on her lap and Bruiser parked right in front of her, his eyes locked on the prize.

“How about this one?” I asked, flipping through some of the choices she’d had queued up.Persuasion. Same title as one of the books on the stack.

“I just watched that last week,” she said.

I kept scrolling and saw another version of the same movie, and I cut her a sidelong glance.

“They’re very different,” she replied primly.

With a grin, I reached over and took a handful of popcorn.

“Ah, here we go.” I clicked onPride & Prejudice. “I choose this one.”

Looking over at me, she raised her eyebrows doubtfully. “You seriously want to watch this with me.”

“Fuck yeah. You can make me smarter. Teach me all about pride and prejudice in the olden days.” I swallowed some popcorn and glanced sideways. “Is it sexy?”

She snorted. “Because it’s you asking, I’m going to say no. ButIthink there are very sexy parts,” she said.

“Such as?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

I settled back into the couch and tossed a couple of kernels at Bruiser. They bounced off his face, and he inhaled them off the ground while Ruby laughed quietly.

As the movie started, Bruiser stuck his front paws on the couch to the left of Ruby and whined.

“Oh, Bruiser,” she sighed. She glanced over at me. “Sorry, he likes this corner the best.”

I patted the cushion between us. “Come on over, birdy. I don’t bite.”

Ruby scooted sideways, tucking one leg underneath her, and it brought her knee to a resting spot against my thigh. Her eyes landed on that spot, and then she straightened her leg out.

With a sigh, I reached forward and put her leg back where it was. “Get comfy. It’s movie night.”

It took a few minutes, but eventually, with the delicate music in the background as the movie began, Ruby slowly relaxed.

Taking pity on me, she turned on the captions because I couldn’t understand a fucking word they were saying in their English accents.

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