Page 58 of Can't Get Over You
“Don’t ask me.” Willa couldn’t have cared less about bad boys. If Jude hadn’t been Finlay’s obsession, the brothers wouldn’t have been on her radar at all. “I couldn’t pick any of them out of a lineup.”
“Well, I wouldn’t touch a McKenna if they were the last men on earth.” Eloise gulped down half her drink.
Finlay and Willa shared a concerned glance.
“Sweetie, who’s watching the baby for you?” Finlay asked.
“I swap with someone in my neighborhood.”
“You’re not picking her up tonight?” Willa asked.
“Nope. I’ll get her in the morning.”
“Tell us about the date,” Ava said.
“Oh.” Eloise clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth in a sound of disgust. “You’re not going to believe this. So I’m shooting the opening of this new boutique in Wild Wolff Village. This place is ridiculous. It’s got maybe twenty things to buy in the entire store, and nothing is even slightly affordable. We’re talking five hundred dollars for a pair of jeans.”
“Guess I won’t be shopping there,” Finlay said.
Eloise smiled. “Trust me, there’s nothing you’d want to buy.”
“I’m assuming the jeans come with the keys to a Ferrari?” Willa asked.
“Ha. Right?” Eloise took another swig. “Anyhow, the owner’s designed it like a penthouse apartment. There’s an actualPicassohanging on the wall.”
“What’s the name of this place?” Ava asked. “I have to see it.”
“It’s called Fredericka’s. The moment you walk in, she hands you a glass of champagne. Anyhow, I’m shooting away, and this guy starts chatting with me. Really nice, really hot, extremely well-dressed.”
“You’ve got my attention,” Willa said.
“Oh, he had mine. That’s for sure. And he’s not hitting on me at all. He’s real. Genuine. Asking me questions about my life. He hears I’m a widow, a single mom, and he doesn’t bat an eye. Which, trust me, is rare. Men disappear like vapor when they hear my sad story. So I’m talking to him, and I start to feel like, I don’t know, maybe this could be something. Especiallywhen he says he’s the CEO of a business and keeps hours that prioritize his big, extended family. I’m thinking, wait a minute, a man who’s actually home? Who spends time with the people he loves? In my mind, I’m packing for the next flight to Vegas.” Eloise flashed her bare ring finger. “But, of course, I’m there to shoot the event, so I keep doing my job.”
“I really wish you were telling this story in a less hostile tone because I want to be excited for you,” Willa said.
“Yeah, wait for it. It’s coming. Anyhow, the event ends. I’m packing up, and this guy walks me to my car. He goes, ‘I could ask for your number and play the waiting game, but can we just skip the bullshit and go on a date Friday night?’” Eloise shook her head. “Hold on. He didn’t say go on adate. He said, ‘go out Friday night.’”
“I’m not unhappy about any of this,” Finlay said.
“At this point, I wasn’t either. I was all in. So I get a sitter, and I dress up like I’ve never had my heart broken. Like I’m not a single mother who lives in lint-covered leggings. And we have the best time. It was fantastic. Sparks flying, conversation flowing. He’s telling me how much he loves kids and what a greatunclehe is. I…” She drained her glass and licked her lips. “I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud. I kissed him good night. That might seem like nothing to you guys, but I haven’t…touched anybody since my husband. Itmeantsomething to me.” Tears glistened, and she blinked furiously. “Oh, dammit.”
Finlay’s heart hurt for her friend. Bailing on a wedding was nothing compared to losing the father of your newborn baby.
“What happened?” Ava asked quietly.
“I mean, it was a good kiss, but it wasn’t easy for me to do, you know? I wrestled with it, trying to convince myself it was okay to love again, that it’s what my husband would’ve wanted. I reminded myself that my baby needs a dad…” She reached for a napkin and dabbed her eyes. “I knew I wasn’t going to fallasleep, so I went to the boutique’s Splashagram page to see the comments about the opening, and guess who’s all over it?”
Dread snaked through her. “Your date?”
Eloise nodded. “Who just happens to be Fredericka’shusband.”
“That’sthe family business?” Willa asked.
“Yep. Apparently, she comes from serious money, and he’s just along for the ride. They gave him the title of CEO.”
“But he’s really the president of pussy?” Willa asked.
“The CEO of sneaky links?” Ava said, laughing.
