Page 23 of Cursed Luck
His brother’s answering laughter confused him for a moment before he realized his mistake and ended the call.
Edward dropped his head back against his chair and sighed. Somehow, in a matter of weeks, his life had turned upside down. Everything since Ethan’s wedding had become a fucking mess. No, it wasn’t fair to blame it on his brother’s wedding. Mia was to blame. If he had not met her, things would be the same.
His phone vibrated against the desk, and Ethan’s name lit up the screen. He released an annoyed sigh and swiped to answer it before bringing it to his ear. Edward did not bother greeting him and waited for Ethan to speak.
“I’m sorry, I just wasn’t expecting that. How can I help you?” Ethan asked, all amusement gone from his words.
“I can’t stop thinking about her, and last time I saw her, it didn’t go so well. I can’t exactly send a florist flowers to say I’m sorry…” Edward ran a hand down his face. He wanted to apologize for upsetting her, but there was more to it. He was consumed with the need to see her.
“What do you know about her other than the flowers?”
“I surprised her with tea from the café, and she seemed to like that,” he said.
“Good, good, but I’m not sure you can do that twice, especially if it’s to apologize.”
Edward chuckled. “The first time was also to apologize…”
Ethan’s laughter became muffled through the call before he cleared his throat. “Batting zero, are we?”
“E, I can’t seem to do anything right where she’s concerned. She has taken up residence in my head, and I can’t function. Fuck, I couldn’t even get laid while I was away. The mere thought of sleeping with anyone else makes my dick shrivel up.”
“Welcome to the club, brother. That alone confirms Mia is your mate. Let’s figure out how to fix this mess so you’re not losing your shit.”
“Thanks.”
“Let me think here, no flowers and no tea. It’s way too early for jewelry, and something tells me she’s not that kind of woman… Oh, I got it! What about some chocolate-covered strawberries or one of those fruit arrangements?”
Edward sat forward. “I know her mom has Celiac’s. I’m not sure if she also has gluten sensitivity or even if chocolate has gluten, so I think a fruit arrangement might be safe until I know more.”
“There you go, Eddie! Now, do you mind sharing how you screwed up this last time?”
He rubbed his temples with the thumb and middle finger of his free hand and sighed. “I might have told her I was glad she wasn’t hardheaded about the changes I suggested.”
Ethan hissed, mirroring Edward’s own expression. When he’d first said the words, he had not considered how they sounded until she kicked him out of her shop. Where Mia was concerned, he had no tact, and all experience with women seemed to go out the window.
“Foot in mouth?”
“Mhmm… That’s one way to put it. Hey, you haven’t happened to hear through the women how she’s doing, have you?” Edward asked.
“Not much, just that whatever help you’d given her worked. She has a revolving door of clients coming through, so great job.”
Edward grinned, and his chest filled with pride. Not for himself, for Mia. He knew his suggestions were only a tool. The rest was up to her. The woman was brilliant in her field, and in time, others would have found Mia’s flowers with or without his assist. Edward’s role was to speed up the timeline.
He had helped plenty of people who could not run with whatever he gave them, and they had failed. His luck or intuition only went so far.
“That’s awesome to hear, but it’s not on me. That’s all her. She’s got real talent and not just because of her natural ability.”
Ethan chuckled. “Make sure you tell herthatand leave out the hardheaded part. I’m sure she’ll appreciate to hear you think so.”
“Thanks, I’ll do my best to remember. I swear, every time she’s around, I say and do the stupidest shit. It’s like I’m fifteen all over again.”
“Oh… that bad?”
“Yeah, that bad. I’m not sure how I can go from talking women into my bed to being unable to formulate a compliment that doesn’t put my balls at risk.”
Ethan laughed. “You guys will figure it out. She’s yours. Now treat her as the gem she is.”
“Damn, look at you and those smooth words,” Edward teased.
