Page 26 of More Than Pen Pals

“Yes. I’m positive he wanted to kiss me, too. But he didn’t.”

“Les, don’t read anything into that. Tonight wasn’t a date. Maybe he was being respectful.”

“Maybe,” I grumble.

“Have you been drinking?”

“I might have had a glass of wine. Possibly an entire bottle.”

She sighs. “Don’t get mad at me for asking this, but isn’t it a little too soon after Glenn to be thinking about kissing another man?”

“I can kiss whoever I want whenever I want.” I realize I sound like I’m twelve, but I’m tired and emotional and a little drunk. In all the drama of the afternoon and evening, I amazingly haven’t thought about Glenn once, and I’m annoyed Aunt Star brought him up.

“True, as you’re single, but it’s only been a couple weeks since your boyfriend of two years broke up with you. Don’t do a rebound relationship, honey. It won’t be fair to the guy, and it won’t be good for you. Especially don’t do it to Ash, unless you want to hurt him again.”

Her words are like a sword to the heart. “I don’t want to hurt him.”

“I didn’t think you did. It’s been a wild ride of a day, and you’re not thinking straight. Do you feel like telling me all about tonight, or do you want to do that some other time?”

“Another time. I’m about to fall asleep.”

“Okay. Talk to you again soon. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

I hang up, and the last thing I want to do is to call Wendy, but I’d rather talk to her now than when she wakes me up later.

She answers on the first ring. “Leslie, is that you?”

“Yes, who else would it be at this time of night?”

She laughs. “It’s not unheard of for me to get calls this late, but I was pretty sure it would be you. Tell me everything—every teeny-weeny, itty-bitty detail. Start at the very beginning. No, wait. First tell me if you kissed him.”

My face burns. “No!”

“Bummer.” She truly sounds disappointed. I can’t believe how fast she got over Ash.

“You owe Ash big time, by the way,” I say. “That restaurant was expensive!”

“Pssh. He can afford it. Ooo, but that means he paid for you! It must have gone well.” If she’s not wiggling her eyebrows, I’ll be shocked.

“It was either pay the bill and then sell a kidney in order to keep my lights on, or let him pay. Not much of a decision there. I’m rather fond of my internal organs—and electricity.”

“So it went well?”

“It did.”

She’s silent for all of two seconds before she says, “That’s all I’m going to get? This happened because ofme,you know.”

“I know, and I’ll be eternally grateful. But I can barely keep my eyes open. Can I tell you about it tomorrow?”

“I’ll be waiting in your office when you get there.”

fourteen

Ican’t sleep. I toss and turn and think about Leslie and then try to think about anything else under the sun and then think about her again.

Why didn’t I kiss her? I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted anything more in my life than to kiss Leslie Beckett tonight, even if she pulled a big one over on me when we were kids. I shouldn’t be surprised by how easily I forgave her, because I’m not one to hold a grudge, but it still blows my mind that within a handful of hours after learning the truth, I no longer care about the stupid decision she made fifteen years ago.

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