Page 164 of My Lucky Charm

“So, you’re not firing her?” Poppy asks.

“Yes. Well, no. Well . . . kind of, but not exactly.” I groan. This is what I get for letting the guys talk me into a stupid grand gesture. I should’ve just taken Burke’s advice and told her how I feel.

“Look, Eloise has been really . . . professional the last few weeks,” I say.

They exchange a glance.

“It’s been weird,” I say. “And I hate it. And it made me realize that yeah, I’ve got feelings for her.” I sigh.

“Shocker,” Raya says dryly.

“And I let the guys talk me into—” I can’t even believe I’m about to admit this out loud.

“Into what?” Raya’s eyes go wide. “Firing her so you can date her? Shouldn’t she have been a part of that conversation?”

“No, it’s not like that,” I say. “It was supposed to be a . . . grand gesture.”

There’s a moment of silence, and the only thing I want to do is exit the building.

I draw in a breath and let out a long exhale.

“This was your idea of a grand gesture?” Poppy asks. “Do you know what a grand gesture is?”

“Finn explained it,” I say.

“Finn?” Raya huffs out a laugh. “You took romance advice from Finn?”

“He made some valid points,” I say. “Besides—” I turn to Poppy— “Burke did that whole dance for you.”

“Yeah, but it didn’t cost me my job!” Poppy says. “Why didn’t you come to us if you wanted to do something for our sister?”

“Well, it wasn’t supposed to go like this. Beverly must’ve sent the termination email too early. She’s been really distracted lately.”

“She’s retiring,” Raya says.

“Explain how this was supposed to go,” Poppy says, looking visibly confused. “Because I don’t understand how any of this was supposed to win over Eloise.”

“The plan was solid,” Burke says, finally coming to my defense. “It just got messed up.”

I explain everything to them, and once I’m finished, they don’t look impressed at all. They’re right, why did I ever listen to Finn? Why didn’t I come straight to them? They know Eloise better than anyone.

I groan. “Okay, so what do I do now?”

“What you should’ve done in the first place,” Raya says. “Tell her the truth.”

“And tell her she’s pretty,” Poppy adds.

I frown.

She shrugs. “We’re strong, capable women, but we still like to be told we’re pretty.”

“What about the big, you know, dramatic moment?” I ask. “Doesn’t she deserve that?”

“Of course, she does,” Raya says. “But if that’s not your style—”

“Then it won’t feel genuine anyway.” Poppy puts a hand on my arm, finally softening.

“I don’t even know what my style is.” I say on a sigh. “I’ve never done this before.”

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