Page 75 of Little Gray Dress

“I’ll go, but on one condition,” I say.

“Anything.”

“You tell me your name?”

“Right. God, I’m sorry. I’m Jack Cabot. And you are?”

“Emi Harrison.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Emi. Let’s go.”

It’s not easy to follow someone through a crowd when you’re holding an ice pack over one eye. Especially when you’re not exactly coordinated to begin with. Jack is holding my hand, and that alone has my heart racing. Even my brain feels like it may be overheating. I just don’t normally have luck like this, so my heart and my head are having a hard time connecting the dots here.

“This is it.” We stand in front of a monstrous boat with windows all along the dock that are tinted so dark I can’t even see into them.

“Wow. This is yours?”

“Well… By default of the fact that the owner is my father, yes. Have you ever been on one?”

“No. I generally stay on the suburb side of the city.” Why am I hinting that I still live with my parents?

He laughs at me before hopping on board and holding a hand out to assist me up. Luckily, I make it up in one piece without sliding down between the boat and the dock into the water.

“Let me give you the grand tour.”

I follow him into a living room with white leather couches along both sides just under the tinted windows. A wall of electronics is on one side of the room, and a gourmet kitchen lies just past a half wall on the other end.

“Whoa… This is bigger than I expected.” This is the kind of thing that happens in movies. Barista meets gorgeous guy and climbs aboard his yacht the day they meet. What is my life suddenly?

“Below are two bedrooms and two bathrooms.”

“Holy shi-oot.” Save the sailor’s mouth for when you know him better, Ems. “This is nice. Are you sure your parents won’t mind that I’m here?”

I watch him laugh at my almost-less-than-ladylike language.

“Why would they mind? Originally I was going to have the guys out here with me.”

“Oh, I guess I’d probably do less damage than those guys.” I point at my black eye.

“Again, I’m so sorry about that.” He reaches up and gently touches the side of my face. “Before we leave dock I can run down the street and grab dinner and bring it back. Is there anything you don’t eat or are allergic to? I’d hate to do any more damage than I’ve already done.”

Dinner at sunset, watching fireworks, on a yacht, with the most gorgeous man I’ve crushed on forever? Yes, please. I feel like I’m a princess who’s just boarded her private yacht to sail the open sea with the handsome prince.

“Nope, just nothing seafood-ish, if possible.”

“Allergic?”

“No, just don’t like it.”

“I knew we’d get along. I hate seafood.”

“Really? Most people look at me like I’m crazy when I say that.”

“I get it, it’s the fishy flavor and the texture, yuk.” His scrunched-up face makes me laugh aloud.

“Yeah.” That’s it, we’re soulmates. We both spontaneously hate seafood and he can practically read my mind. I’m convinced.

“Make yourself at home. I’ll be back in thirty.”

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