Page 45 of I'm Looking for a Man in Finance
I smiled, still trying to shake off the heat of our kiss. “Whenever you’re ready. Maybe after a few dates—my family is always eager to meet anyone who’s willing to write about their pizza.”
Hallie’s eyes twinkled. “I’ll definitely make it happen. Can’t wait.” The warmth behind her eyes as she disappeared behind her apartment building door ignited a spark of hope within me.
16
Hallie
“So, he kissed you up against the wall outside and now you can’t stop thinking about him. Did I get that right?” Roxie asked as she settled down on the couch next to me with a bowl of popcorn. A movie played on the TV, but we hadn’t paid attention to a single minute of it.
“That about sums it up.”
Roxie had been home when I returned from my second date with James. She’d taken one look at my mussed hair and swollen lips and immediately screeched like a kid on Christmas morning. She’d insisted on a full debrief over a glass of wine. It was normally Roxie giving these debriefs, so it felt strange that the situation was reversed for the first time.
“I can’t say I told you so because I never actually told you so, but Iknewthis was going to happen.” Roxie tossed a piece of popcorn toward me. “Was it hot? Spicy? Steamy? What chili rating would you give it? Oh, please give me the details. Ihaveto live vicariously through you right now.”
“It was …”Sexy. Hot. Dangerous. The kind of kiss I’d be replaying in my head when I pulled my vibrator out of my nightstand.“Really nice.”
Roxie rolled her eyes at my scaled-back answer as she twisted her dark-blonde hair and resecured it with ahairpin. Tonight was one of the few nights that she had off from the art gallery and instead of going out, she’d decided to stay in and watch romance movies.
“I’m sure that Anthea will be happy with the magic you twist this date into on the page.” If tonight’s kiss wasn’t spicy enough for my boss, I wasn’t sure what would be. My only worry was whether Anthea would expect me to write something even hotter next.
I’d been so determined to prove I deserved the food critic position, so willing to do whatever Anthea asked, that I’d never stopped to consider what I’d do if I developed feelings along the way. I pulled a worn, crocheted blanket from the couch and threw it over our legs as if it could ward off those feelings.
“What’s on your mind?” Roxie asked me, her legs tangling with mine. “I can see those wheels turning in that beautiful head of yours.”
I mustered a small smile. “I’m worried about continuing these dates with James.”
“Why?” Roxie asked. “You get to go on extravagant dates that a guy actually puts thought into. Have a little fun. Kiss a little. What more could a girl want?”
Roxie was right. What morecouldI want? James had put so much thought into both dates, pulling the little details he knew about me and crafting a night I’d enjoy. The problem was, everything James had done so far was perfect.
He was perfect.
“I’m worried that I’m maybe, possibly, having some feelings for him.” My voice was barely above a whisper and Roxie had to lean in to hear me fully.
Her eyes searched mine as she set the bowl of popcorn and her glass of wine down on our coffee table. She reached out, taking my hands in hers. “Is that a bad thing?”
A lump formed in my throat.
Roxie pulled me into a hug. “Remember what our favorite movie to watch together is about?Eat, Pray, Love? I think it’s your turn to experience life. Indulge in good food. Find yourself and maybe someone else along the way.”
Roxie might have been right, but I couldn’t shake the uncertainty about tonight’s kiss. Was it because of his feelings for me, or was it just part of helping me fulfill Anthea’s request about this week’s article? The lingering taste of his lips only added to my confusion.
“What if we started our own blog together?” The idea had been bouncing around in my head for a while. Roxie and I had tinkered with it back in college but had ultimately decided we couldn’t afford to start a business without some experience in the industry first.
Roxie pulled away from me, her brows nearly up in her hairline. “Where is this coming from?”
I reached for the bottle of wine to refill both of our glasses before I dove into my idea. A little liquid courage couldn’t hurt.
“Come on, it was our dream back in college, and I’ve been thinking about it again recently.” I span the stem of the wineglass between my fingers as Roxie considered my offer. She loved her job at the art gallery, but it had simply been a place for her to make connections until she could break into the food photography industry.
“What about the food critic position withSophisticate? You’re so close to getting it.”
Becoming a food critic forSophisticatehad always been my dream. I’d started out as an intern, delivering coffees and becoming the queen of the copier machine. Then, when the opportunity came for my own column, I jumped at it. So, when Anthea had offered the promotion for “Love on Wall Street”, I didn’t see the harm in it. But now I was wondering if it was worth it. It was taking over my life, and I wasn’t sure how comfortable I felt with my boss telling me who to kiss, even if the kiss she’d dictated had been nothing short of earthshattering.
“There’s no guarantee. I could write this entire series and still have Anthea decide to not give me the position.” It was time I took matters into my own hands. Maybe I wouldn’t have theSophisticatebrand behind me and my reviews, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t make a name for myself on my own. I’d already proven I could create my own community with my social media, so why not take it a few steps further?
“What about you? What’s your plan for getting from the gallery to food photography?”
