Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“It’s unprofessional,” he squawked. “It’s not—”
“You’re gonna give him a seductive smile and lure him back to your hotel room—”
“Oscar.”
“And by the time Monday comes around, you’ll be like, ‘Louis, who? Don’t know her.’”
“Oscar.”
“Trust me, okay? You need to get back on the dating horse, so I’m manifesting you a damn horse,” I vowed. “And you’re gonna ride him all weekend.”
Hugh made a noncommittal noise. “We’ll see. But what about you?” he demanded. “Are you, uh… Will you… I mean, do you think there’ll be a horse at the wedding you’re going to?”
“As a matter of fact…” I laughed, though I knew Hugh wouldn’t understand the joke. “I know there will be.”
“Oh.”
I glanced over at the conference room door in time to catch the nervous glance of my executive VP.
“We’ve been on the phone for a couple of hours,” I said gently. “I should probably let you get to sleep.”
“Oh, yeah… yeah, I guess. And I’m sure your meeting’s starting soon.”
“Mmhm. So…”
He let out a little nervous laugh. “So, I guess… I guess I’ll text you later?”
I gripped the fingers of my free hand into a tight ball and tried to keep my voice light. “Absolutely. I’ll be looking forward to horse updates all weekend too.” In much the same way I looked forward to dental work. “Get some sleep.”
“Yeah, you too. I mean, not sleep. Not in your meeting. But later. Later, get some sleep.”
I closed my eyes and let myself smile. “Will do.”
When the call ended, I stared at my phone for a little while longer. My skin felt tight and strange, ill-fitting and wrong, and the restlessness that had dogged me for months settled into my gut with a vengeance.
I was too far from home, I realized. Too far from… people I cared about.
Going to the wedding this weekend and seeing my friends would be just what I needed to ground myself. And if seeing them laugh and coo with their happily ever afters also reinforced for me why certain rules should not be broken… that was all for the best.
I stood up and dusted myself off, straightening my clothes and taking a few deep breaths to resettle into business mode.
That was what I was good at, after all.
8
HUGH
The morning sun had barely started to burn off the sunrise haze as I made my way over the Bourne Bridge. I’d gotten an obscenely early start because it was Fourth of July weekend, which meant traffic on the Cape was bound to be awful. Also, if I played my cards right, I’d have time to scope out the venue for the destination wedding I’d be helping to photograph and find some unique photo locations before the festivities began.
And, yes, okay, if I was being perfectly honest, I’d gotten on the road so early because I’d spent most of the night overthinking my accidental phone conversation with Oscar, which had made sleep spotty at best.
I’d woken up the next morning hungover and horrified. I’d quickly shot him a text, even though I assumed he’d be sleeping himself.
Hugh
I’m so, so sorry for interrupting your work day and breaking our… thing.
He responded right away.
Oscar
Don’t be sorry. It was nice to hear your voice. I’m sorry about Louis.
Before I’d been able to respond, I’d heard something crash to the floor and ran to see what had happened. Hungover Rafa had happened, and I’d spent the rest of the morning trying to get both of us recovered enough to attend to our work responsibilities.
By the time I’d checked my phone again, late that night, Oscar had sent me a screenshot to an article about the upcoming season of Love Island, along with a message saying, “Just know that if you insist on us buddy-watching this, Frank’s going to move out.”
I’d snorted and sent him back a link to a Pinterest page I’d come across that had several links to indulgent, over-the-top habitats for pet hedgehogs.
Hugh
Or consider a small bribe. After all, you can’t let these losers out-habitat you. Frank deserves better.
And just like that, we were back on solid ground.
I’d forced myself to download a dating app again and set up a date for the following week, after I returned from the Cape, because Oscar was right. I couldn’t let Louis keep me from pursuing my happy ever after. Then, I’d thrown myself into finishing up the Patrick wedding edits so I could focus on preparing for the job ahead of me.
But this drive had given me unexpected quiet time, and I couldn’t help but examine my feelings for the man whose text messages had become a bright thread weaving through my days.
The fact that I’d called him—called him—while drunk was not a good sign. It meant I’d slipped another inch or two closer to the love precipice. And then, on top of all that, having Oscar joke about me taking him to Abby’s wedding festivities, letting myself think even for a second that I could spend an evening by his side for the first time in a year… Yeah, it was safe to say I’d lost a lot of the “healthy boundaries” I’d managed to cobble together where Oscar was concerned. I was now clinging to friendship mountain by my fingernails, dangling over the chasm, trying hard to hoist myself up so I didn’t fall. Because if I did fall for Oscar…