Page 7 of A Chance at Love

Leo

“Shit,” says Whitney, smoothing down her hair. “Hi. Sorry. Were you standing there long?”

“You mean, did I hear you say that you wanted me?” I say. I’d come upstairs to make sure she was okay—I saw her and Jess branch off from the group a little while ago and started getting concerned when they didn’t come back. But to overhear her say that she wants me...damn. Talk about good timing.

Whitney’s cheeks burn. I feel a little bad for being so blatant with her, but damn, she’s adorable when she’s blushing.

“Yeah,” she says. “Look, about that…”

“You don’t have to explain.” I put on the most ridiculously-full-of-myself smirk that I can manage. “I mean, come on. Look at me. I’m a god.”

She laughs.

“You know, I was coming up here to ask if you wanted to go on a walk or something, but now that I know you want me…should we just go in a closet and get it on?”

Her cheeks burn again.

My over-the-top smirk fades. Shit. “Sorry. Too much?”

“No. I know you’re just kidding around.” She takes a breath. “So, can I take you up on that walk? I could use the fresh air.”

“Definitely,” I say. I offer my arm to her, and she laughs and hooks hers around it. “Come on. Let’s go look at the stars.”

* * *

Outside,the sky is inky black and dotted with faint specks of light. Whitney and I walk around the paths on the property, and then drift off the paths and wander through the surrounding fields. While we walk, we catch up on the last six years of our lives. She tells me about the marketing job she has at a small publishing company. I tell her about what a typical day is like for me as a cofounder of a tech company. She asks about my parents; I ask about hers. It’s so good to just spend time like this with her. It reminds me of how good of a friend she was in high school—not just a girlfriend.

I miss her. Oh, God, I miss her.

When we reach the edge of the property, we circle around and start heading back. The mansion glows in the darkness, every one of its multitude of lights aglow.

“What do you think?” I say, nodding toward the mansion. “Should we buy the place?”

Whitney scoffs. “Oh, yeah. Definitely. I’m sure it will be a bargain, too.”

“I bet you could get them to lower the price.”

“Oh, yeah? And how would I do that?”

“With your feminine wiles.”

She smirks. “Feminine wiles my ass.”

“Are you kidding?” I say. “Have you seen yourself, Whitney?”

Her eyes drop, then raise again to mine. “This isn’t how I normally dress, you know.”

“No?”

“No. Come on. You know me, Leo. You know I’m a yoga-pants-baggy-tee kind of girl.”

“Don’t forget the granny panties.”

She punches me playfully. “You wish you could see my granny panties.”

“Totally. I’d be all over them.”

She laughs. But then she goes weirdly silent. Her footsteps slow.

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