Page 32 of Some Like It Hops

I look over at Pops and shrug. “Just your average hundred-and-sixty-pound beast who thinks he’s a lapdog and sleeps a lot.”

Griffin chuckles. “No, I mean...” He pauses to laugh a bit more. “His name. Pops. Is there a story there?”

Embarrassment dances across my cheeks. “Oh. Yeah, obviously. Sorry.” I laugh. “When he was a baby, he pounced around so much, always knocking things over and just always so excited that he couldn’t sit still. He came from the shelter with a horrible name, so I changed it to Popcorn. Over the years, Pops just stuck.”

“Huh. Makes sense.”

“Well, come in, I guess.” Stepping away from the door, I’m acutely aware of the saggy ass of this romper as I make my way back to the couch. I could really kick myself for not changing before I let him in.

Or not throwing this thing straight into the trash when I found out it wasn’t returnable.

I’ll just keep it for pajamas!Yeah, great call, Past Me. Good looking out for us.

I sit back down and look up at him. He’s so tall, and he commands such attention, he pretty much fills my small condo.

He closes the door behind him and looks around, surveying my space, then nods. “It’s quaint.”

I snort. Quaint. A nicer word for small. “Probably the size of your bathroom, right?”

He shakes his head. “No, my bathroom is bigger.”

My mouth drops open and he flashes a playful grin. My heart flutters in my chest and my belly tightens. Well, it’s good to know I still have a major crush on a guy who totally stood me up. I ignore the feelings and cross my arms over my chest. “You said you wanted to apologize?”

He gives a curt nod, then joins me in the living room, unbuttoning his suit jacket before sitting down across from me.

Ugh. Even the way he sits is sexy.

Nope. None of that. He was a no-show on our date and he owes me an apology. That’s all this is. Closure. Nothing more. I refuse to get involved with him after the shit I’ve seen in the press these past few weeks. He can apologize, I can accept the apology, and we can both go ourveryseparate ways.

Griffin sighs, then leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m sorry, Charlie. I should have never stood you up.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.”

“And I should have never just…” He winces a little. “Left you hanging like that.”

“Why did you?”

He runs his hand over the back of his neck. “The night we were supposed to go out…” He shakes his head. “I was so excited, Charlie. I never get excited like that. Women are just…”

My eyebrows creep slowly up my forehead.

He catches the movement and smirks. “Let me finish before you call me out.”

“Fine.”

He chuckles softly and my chest warms.

“It’s always been easy for me, Charlie.” He shrugs. “I see something I want, someoneI want, and then it’s mine. There’s never a chase, never even a slight challenge.”

“That must be so hard on you.” My eyes narrow.

“That’s not what I’m saying.” He sighs, then pins me with those mesmerizing green eyes. “They’re just not like you.”

“What do you mean? I’m a challenge? A game?”

“No, that’s not… no. You’re not a game. A challenge, yes.” He laughs softly. “I’ll say. You challenged me from the moment we met. You called me a mansplainer when I tried to help you pour beer—”

“I didn’t need help.”

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