Page 22 of How He Got the Girl
“What’s your first name?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Yes, that’s why I asked.” I grin.
She rolls her eyes. “Fine, it’s Veronica. Veronica Mallory Porter.”
“Veronica…” I say the name slowly. “Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue like Mallory.”
“Yeah, I’ve never really felt like a Veronica. Even my parents have always called me Mallory.”
“That explains why I couldn’t find you. Well, that and I had no chance of finding you on social media without your last name.”
“Oh, you never would’ve found me on social media.” She takes a sip of her drink.
I blink. “Why’s that?”
“I don’t have it.”
“Really?” I laugh.
She shrugs. “I always wanted to be a teacher, but I didn’t want my students to find embarrassing pictures of me online, so I never created a social media account.”
“You know that makes you really hard to find, right?”
Her eyes narrow. “That’s kind of the point.”
This conversation is not going how I’d envisioned. In my mind, I always thought that if I ever saw Mallory again, it would be this grand moment when we would see each other across the way and run to each other. She would jump into my arms, and we would ride off into the sunset together, kissing until we couldn’t breathe.
“Why are you even here?” She sounds annoyed, bursting my dream bubble of our reunion.
“I wanted coffee.”
Mallory sighs. “No. I mean, why are youhere? In Louisville?”
“My granny had hip-replacement surgery. She’s in a rehab facility now while she recovers.”
She frowns. “She couldn’t have gotten the surgery in your small town?”
“Not unless the town nurse suddenly became a surgeon overnight.” I laugh. “One of her friends had the same procedure from a doctor in Louisville, so she felt comfortable getting it here.”
“That still doesn’t explain whyyou’rehere.” She glances around the café, anywhere but at me.
I look at Mallory until she finally meets my gaze, and I’m taken aback when I see a hint of emotion in her eyes. It’s obvious she’s trying to hide it, but I can see there’s something she’s grappling with, even if she’s trying to make herself look composed.
I know the feeling. I’ve been trying to rein in my emotions from the moment I caught her in my arms and realized who she was. If this were a movie, I would’ve lifted her off the ground and spun her around, shouting her name like a victory cry, knowing I’d finally found her. Then the cameras would cut to slow motion as our lips met.
Instead, I’ve got a cold front on my hands, and I don’t mean the one outside.
“I wanted to make sure Granny had the best care. My parents are still working, and I’m on a break between movies, so it made sense for me to be the one to come.”
Mallory’s eyes seem to soften slightly at that. I hope she’s seeing the same man from the café all those years ago under the new Hollywood shine. I may have a slightly better haircut and whiter teeth, but I’m still me.
Plus, part of me was holding onto hope that I would run into Mallory, that I’d find her again. It seemed unattainable, a fantasy. But here she is, sitting across from me in a coffee shop just like three years ago.
Although it’s nothing like my fantasy.
Mallory doesn’t say anything, so I continue. “Are you seeing anyone?”
