Page 110 of Doctorshipped
Jayme:My story? My bookish peeps?
Ella Mae:Your story, as in you and Brooks, of course. The man-pire who inspires your romance novels.
Jayme:Did you just type man-pire?
Ella Mae:Cute, right? Like vampire, but he’s all man. I created a hashtag #manpire and I used the word in one of the posts.
I feelmy brows rise all the way up my forehead. Is Ella Mae trying to sell Brooks as my manpire? And, oh my gosh. I just thought the word, manpire!
Jayme:We need to not make it look like Brooks and I are dating. It’s important.
Ella Mae:Why does it matter? No one in this town is on social. Well, Mabel is, bless her lively geriatric self. She’s even got her own TikTok. Have you seen it?
Jayme:I’d be afraid to look. Nothing against Mabel, but the idea of her on TikTok is a little like giving a toddler a butcher knife.
Ella Mae:I’ll send you the link. She’s got over 3k followers.
Jayme:Mabel does?
Ella Mae:People love her. She posts all sorts of silliness, and people eat it up with a spoon. She did an avocado facial yesterday, with before and after. Then she got on and said it didn’t do a thing for her wrinkles. I just know that vid is going viral any day.
Great,Mabel has enough followers to get the attention of a publishing company. And, thanks to Ella Mae, the world is starting to think I have a romance with Brooks. Meanwhile, I have to hide my relationship with Grant. Why do things have to be so complicated?
Ella Mae:Here it is. She’s at @bordeauxgrannysgotback
Ella Mae:Text me times you have available to shoot some more pics. I’m thinking of you and Brooks at the library, reading together and playing footsie, looking at one another through the stacks. That sort of thing.
Jayme:Can we do a shoot without Brooks? I’ll send you times.
Ella Mae:Why on earth would you do a shoot without Brooks? He’s your secret sauce right now. And he’s scrumptious. Women love him—they love him for you. You’re making a statement.
Jayme:A statement?
Ella Mae:That women like you, who don’t know Jimmy Choo from Chewbacca, can find a man like him who’s all muscles and deliciousness, and you two can rock a relationship.
Jayme:Women like me?
Ella Mae:No disrespect, Jayme. You are a total W. If you weren’t I wouldn’t be here doing this with you.
Jayme:a W?
Ella Mae:a W. A win. A winner. You know. The bomb. Though that saying is so dead now. It needs to be buried. I use it here for your sake—for the sake of translation. W. You’re a total W.
Jayme:Thank you. I think. But I still want a solo shoot.
Ella Mae:We’ll see. And it’s my pleasure. Really.You’re proof there’s hope for Bordeaux after all.
I laugh.I’m sure by “hope” she means we’ll all be toting our phones around filming our lunches and taking selfies up and down Main. Heaven forbid.
I can’t getto Grant’s fast enough. Getting to his house only takes ten minutes from Trevor and Lexi’s place. I don’t want to be one of those over-eager women, even though I totally am one. So, I sit in my car in the driveway at the old Finch place from two fourteen until two twenty, and then at two twenty on the dot, I start the engine and leisurely drive to Grant’s.
He’s waiting at his desk when I come in, but this time, unlike yesterday, he stands when I enter.
“Jayme,” his voice is warm and low, and he looks as relieved to see me as I am to see him.
In less than two strides each, we meet in the middle of the room, and instead of the kiss I had anticipated, Grant pulls me in and holds me to himself. I wrap my arms around his waist and we stand there, hugging. This is not what I expected, and yet it’s totally what I needed—this and some kissing. I mean. Hello. The kissing.
“I missed you,” Grant murmurs into my hair, and I wonder if he knows he’s even said it.
