Page 6 of Wedding Bet

He’s just trying to be nice, I told myself. It’s what Chase would have said, and Mom would have said, for sure.

But another, louder, stupidly prideful voice inside me was winning out. I didn’t want a pity drink, a pity hookup, or a pity admission to a fancy bar where I’d probably feel out of place, anyway.

No matter how soulful Landry’s brown eyes were. No matter how nice he was trying to be.

“Ah. I—I think I’d rather just go back up to my room, for tonight,” I told him.

His scarf gently fluttered in a small breeze that passed through the air. He nodded once, his expression deflating, a little. “Sure thing, Jamie.”

I was gone soon after.

I went upstairs in a hurry, throwing off my jacket and pulling in a long breath the moment I made it back to my hotel room.

I hopped into a steaming hot shower, rinsing off and taking the chill away from my fingers and my face, replaying the conversation with Landry over and over again.

Now that I was out of the heat of the moment, I regretted how I’d acted.

I knew Chase was right. I was too picky. I’d had one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen basically begging me to share a drink with him, and I’d been too freaked out to take him up on the offer.

I changed into my pajamas and let out a long breath, looking out at the beautiful night-sky view past the windows in my hotel room. I jotted out a quick text to Chase, letting him know I was heading to bed and I’d see him tomorrow.

I really did want real love. With someone who felt like anequal. Something like Chase and Adam had. I wasn’t virginal or inexperienced—it wasn’t like I was some pure, thirty-year-old angel. But after a few soulless hookups in my early twenties, I’d all but sworn them off.

Was it so bad to hold out for more?

To hold out for somethingreal?

Once I was in bed, I turned on a cheesy, cozy holiday movie on the TV. I was almost dozing off when I heard a knock at the door.

I swung it open to see a room service worker holding a silver platter with one drink on it.

“Sent from… Landry Lucock,” the young worker said as she read a receipt. “An Irish Creme White Russian, for you.” She handed me the drink and a little folded note along with it, and I thanked her and headed back into my room.

Chase told me which room to send this to. Apologies if I came on too strong. Enjoy this cocktail on me—my favorite winter indulgence.

And thanks for keeping me company out in the snow, Marshmallow. I needed it.

-Lucky

My heart pounded a little harder in my chest as I read the note and took a sip of the delicious drink.

I lounged in bed, enjoying the rest of it as I imagined Landry sending it over.

He said that he’d needed the company tonight. Was it possible that he was actually just as lonely and out of place as I was? It seemed impossible, but stranger things had happened.

Things as strange as me ending up in the freaking snowy mountains this December.

I pulled out my phone and fished the business card out of my jacket pocket after I’d finished my drink. A mixture of exhaustion and tipsiness had warmed my blood, and for the first time all night. I let my guard down.

I texted the cell phone number on the business card.

>>Jamie:Thank you for the drink, Lucky.

I was surprised when my phone vibrated a couple of minutes later.

>>Landry: My pleasure. And, again, apologies. For the flirting. I think I was off base.

I bit my lower lip, a little surge of adrenaline rolling through me. Even if I wasn’t going to hook up with the guy, he was intriguing. Maybe I could have a little fun.

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