Page 33 of The Sexy Part
“Yeah, it’s better just to take it in with your own eyes.” She starts walking again, and I keep up. “You should take that job with my mom.”
“I’m seriously considering it. I mean, I can’t afford to be picky. I just don’t know if I can handle all those happy-in-love couples.”
“Think of it as being an event planner.”
“She did say she’d be flexible with me working part-time hours.”
“There you go. I’d hire you to be a waitress at Happy Endings, but we’re fully staffed.”
“Oh God, no. I was a waitress one summer in college, and I was terrible at it. Kept getting the orders wrong and dropping dishes. Not for me.”
“It would be cool if you stuck around.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Shit. Back it up.
Her eyes widen, and she shifts, putting some distance between us.
I hold a palm up. “No pressure. Just thought—”
“I just ended a serious relationship.”
“I know that’s not easy. I ended one last year.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. Brianna. She moved to the city and ghosted me.”
“I sound just like her. Someone you helped who wants to move to the city.”
“You’d never ghost me.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” she says softly. “How do you know that?”
“I watched you with my family. You liked us. And the feeling was mutual. Anyone who can handle a Campbell Sunday dinner is my kind of people. And my kind would never bail without a goodbye.”
Our hands brush as we walk, sending a jolt through me. I like her. I know I should keep my distance. I don’t think she’d ghost me, but I do think she’ll leave as soon as she can to start a new life in the city. I can only take the city in small doses. My life is here.
I shift away so our hands don’t accidentally touch. “Anyway, you should take the job. You’ll feel better having some money in the bank while you rebuild your business.”
“And that’s the only reason you want me to take the job?”
“You’d really be helping Mom out. She’s back to a one-woman operation. She often says she wishes she could clone herself.”
“Mackenzie would be the closest thing you could get to a clone.”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far. Mackenzie’s far more pragmatic and not so into the fairy-tale wedding Mom helps brides achieve. Mom never pressured her, just offered an open invitation, which Mackenzie didn’t take her up on.”
She’s quiet. I can feel her staring at me. There’s definitely chemistry between us. I’ve felt it every time we touch.Resist. Stay strong.
I turn to her and meet her gaze. She looks away fast. “You can walk to most places in town, but you might want a car for grocery shopping, errands, or getting to the train station. Most big stores are a half hour away.”
“Car, insurance, gas. That sounds expensive.”
“I’m close with my cousin Mason, who works at Exotic and Classic Restorations. That’s who I borrowed a truck from to move your stuff. I’m sure he could find you something to get around in that’s not too expensive.”
“That name sounds familiar. Exotic and Classic Restorations. Is that the shop in Eastman, Connecticut, on the TV showHot Finds?”
“That’s the one. You a fan?”
“I’ve seen it. Dave used to watch it. His dream was to own a classic car once he got a second home in the country. Now he has a llama farm with Sheila, so I guess he’s on his way.”
