Chapter 9
Otto
The Almost Kiss
As I climb into my vehicle, I breathe a sigh of relief and sit for a few seconds to recover. There’s really no appointment, it was just an excuse. I simply couldn’t take another second of Miss Bettencourt. She flirted with me from the moment I walked into the ballroom. I have no interest in her and tried to politely make that known, but she didn’t take any of my hints.
I’m falling for my project co-lead. How does a laidback hockey player become infatuated with a fussy law student? The more time I spend with Mia, the more I want to get to know her. I love teasing her and getting a rise out of her. She didn’t back off or tell me to stop when I leaned in to kiss her either. Darn Miss Bettencourt for her bad timing!
Musing over the almost kiss, I pick up a bag of Sammy’s Burgers and head home. When I enter the living room, Joey glances up from his video game. “Is that Sammy’s Burgers?” he asks as he sniffs the aroma in the air.
Chuckling, I reply, “Yep. And I got a couple extras.”
“I’m in!” he says, flinging down the game controller.
“Where’s your usual cup of Joe?” he asks as we walk into the kitchen.
“I have to cut back on my gourmet coffee habit. Over the past year, the price has increased over 200%. I didn’t realize how much I was spending every month on take-out coffee. But after running the numbers, I’ve decided to only treat myself once a week. I’m going to start brewing my coffee here at home.”
Joey nods. “Does it also have to do with the fact that we didn’t get another housemate when Levi moved out?”
He hits the puck right into the goal. The increase in the monthly rent has put a huge dent in my budget. Joey has unlimited spending money because his dad is paying for everything, but I’m on my own.
“Yes, that’s definitely a factor.”
“Let’s advertise for a new housemate in August before school starts again,” he suggests. The summer is not a good time to find new renters, so we didn’t even try.
“Fine by me.”
We eat in silence for a few seconds, savoring the tasty burgers. Hopefully we’ll get plenty of bids on one of those gift cards Mia procured from this restaurant.
“What was your errand this afternoon? I thought you were going out for dinner with Mia,” Joey says. I sent him a text to let him know not to expect me for dinner assuming that Mia and I might go out together.
“Mia and I toured the Marriott Grand Marquis as a potential venue for the fundraiser.”
He whistles. “Wow! That place is fancy!” A puzzled expression crosses his face. “Didn’t prickly Mia want to go out for dinner?” Joey asks.
Sighing, I say, “It wasn’t Mia. It was me. The Marriott’s event coordinator flirted with me the whole time and I could see that it was bothering Mia. So, I made up an excuse and got out of there.”
Joey’s eyes narrow. “You’ve fallen for Miss Prissy, haven’t you?”
“Is it that obvious?” I ask.
He nods. “Yes. When you avoid a cute girl hitting on you, that’s a sure sign you’ve fallen for someone else. I assume the coordinator is cute?”
“Yep,” I reply. Felice Bettencourt was downright sexy. She had model-worthy looks and wore clothing to emphasize every curve. But the woman who makes my heartrate accelerate wears prim and proper business suits and gives off a fussy librarian vibe. Go figure.
“Do you have the Mariott gal’s number? Maybe I’ll give her a call,” he teases.
I snort. “Joey, you’ve got plenty of women after you. You don’t need to hit on Miss Bettencourt.”
He shrugs. “True.”
After we finish devouring the burgers, Joey disappears into his space, and I do the same. I check my email and find one from Mia with the contract for the venue attached. Curiosity makes me open it.
Subject: Attached Contracts, Proposed Next Meeting
Dear Mr. Stagmeier,
Attached is the signed venue contract. I took the liberty of selecting one of the caterers that Miss Bettencourt suggested in order to expedite the process. Their contract and menu are also attached. Rest assured they do not offer any fowl.
I propose we meet tomorrow at Noon at Emma’s Cupcakes since we aren’t touring the botanical gardens. I want to get an update on tasks and status on the silent auction items you are procuring. We also need to have the flyers and VIP invitations printed by Monday.
Regards,
Mia
P.S. Please say hello to Floyd.
A belly laugh erupts as I read. She can mention fowl in her emails but I can’t? Game on. My fingers fly over the keyboard as I pen my response while sporting a mischievous grin.
Subject: Next Meeting
Dear Ms. Robinson,
This confirms our meeting tomorrow at noon. Unfortunately, Floyd will not be able to attend but he is standing by to deliver those VIP invitations.
Regards,
Otto
P.S. Both Floyd and I are relieved there’s no fowl on the catering menu. However, my pet goldfish Pete is concerned over the salmon.
After pressing Send, I sit back in my chair and bask in my clever reply. It would be worth it to purchase a goldfish just so I can introduce him to Mia. I hear they’re an easy, no-frills pet. Teasing Mia has become my new favorite hobby. I can’t wait for our meeting tomorrow.