Page 15 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

‘I’d love to have dinner and discuss.’ She bats her long fake eyelashes as she waits for my response.

Is this a business meeting or a date? Knowing Brynn, she’s probably combined the two.

‘Honestly, I don’t even know if I’m interested. This was Brynn’s idea as I need cash for a business venture.’

‘That’s what I was hoping you’d say. I see you’re on your way out, but here—’ She pulls a business card from her bag, extending it in my direction. ‘Call me this week. We’ll talk.’

I take her card, staring at it as she jogs down the stairs to a car waiting for her. I suppose it couldn’t hurt to talk to her and see what this is all about. I mean, I do need money.

Suddenly, I notice the flowers in my hand.

‘Crap, Hollyn.’

I pull my phone from my pocket and check the time. I’ll need to fly through traffic to make it on time.

* * *

At the Airport…

I grab the bouquet from the passenger seat. Do I need a sign? Probably not, but what the hell. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t embarrass her right off the bat. I rifle around the back seat of my car, grabbing a piece of cardboard from a box I used to hold some flowers I picked up from a vendor last week. I carefully choose my words just in case she truly doesn’t recognize me or thinks I’m some weirdo here to kidnap her. For all I know, she looks nothing like she used to. MaybeIwon’t recognizeher?

I stop just outside the gates, glancing through the arrivals board.

SEA-----Delta-----3758-----8:45-----D9-----Arrived at 8:42

It’s eight-fifty now, so she should exit at any time. I unfold the sign and stand off to the side, watching people greet their friends and loved ones. One couple embraces. A woman runs past me to a group of people, all squealing at the sight of her. A few seemingly lonely businesspeople meander by.

‘Meeting your wife?’

I glance back at the woman the voice belongs to, only to realize she’s speaking to me.

‘No. Not my wife. My best friend’s sister.’

‘Ooh.’ The forty-something woman lets out a throaty groan. ‘Even better. The brother’s best friend. It’s only my favorite romance trope.’

‘Romance trope?’ I ask, having no clue what the hell she’s talking about.

‘You know, the guy falls for his best friend’s sister plot… in movies and books?’

‘No. This definitely isn’t that. We’ve never dated. Just doing my friend a solid.’

Her eyes lower to the flowers and sign in my hands. ‘You sure about that?’

I glance down nervously. ‘Yes. Very sure. I’m a florist; flowers are what I do. She just got dumped, and I have no idea what to say, so I was hoping the flowers could speak for me. Bad idea?’

‘Adorable idea. Very best friend’s brother tropey.’

She thinks this isromantic? I glance down at my sign that is verynotromantic and probably a little offensive. I turn away from the stranger, trying not to overthink what she’s just said. There’s probably no way Hollyn will see what she sees. Right?

Stop thinking, Dax.

I focus on the passenger-only hallway in front of me. More families. More business folks. Couples.Hollyn.

My heart slows in my chest as I watch her walk my way. Wow. Still beyond beautiful. For a moment, the airport halts to a stop, and only she exists, somehow moving in slow motion and getting prettier with each step.

Fuck. This was a bad idea. My mouth feels suddenly full of sand as I attempt to swallow away the feelings I thought were long gone.

As she walks, she pulls her long wavy, honey blonde hair over one shoulder, tucking the opposite side behind her ear, then adjusts the bag that’s literally half her size, hanging off one shoulder.

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