Chapter 16
Hallie
“So, he kissed you up against the wall outside and now you can’t stop thinking about him. Did I get that right?” Roxie asked as she settled down on the couch next to me with a bowl of popcorn. A movie played on the TV, but we hadn’t paid attention to a single minute of it.
“That about sums it up.”
Roxie had been home when I returned from my second date with James.
She’d taken one look at my mussed hair and swollen lips and immediately screeched like a kid on Christmas morning.
She’d insisted on a full debrief over a glass of wine.
It was normally Roxie giving these debriefs, so it felt strange that the situation was reversed for the first time.
“I can’t say I told you so because I never actually told you so, but I knew this was going to happen.” Roxie tossed a piece of popcorn toward me. “Was it hot? Spicy? Steamy? What chili rating would you give it? Oh, please give me the details. I have to live vicariously through you right now.”
“It was …” Sexy. Hot. Dangerous. The kind of kiss I’d be replaying in my head when I pulled my vibrator out of my nightstand. “Really nice.”
Roxie rolled her eyes at my scaled-back answer as she twisted her dark-blonde hair and resecured it with a hairpin. Tonight was one of the few nights that she had off from the art gallery and instead of going out, she’d decided to stay in and watch romance movies.
“I’m sure that Anthea will be happy with the magic you twist this date into on the page.” If tonight’s kiss wasn’t spicy enough for my boss, I wasn’t sure what would be. My only worry was whether Anthea would expect me to write something even hotter next.
I’d been so determined to prove I deserved the food critic position, so willing to do whatever Anthea asked, that I’d never stopped to consider what I’d do if I developed feelings along the way.
I pulled a worn, crocheted blanket from the couch and threw it over our legs as if it could ward off those feelings.
“What’s on your mind?” Roxie asked me, her legs tangling with mine. “I can see those wheels turning in that beautiful head of yours.”
I mustered a small smile. “I’m worried about continuing these dates with James.”
“Why?” Roxie asked. “You get to go on extravagant dates that a guy actually puts thought into. Have a little fun. Kiss a little. What more could a girl want?”
Roxie was right. What more could I want? James had put so much thought into both dates, pulling the little details he knew about me and crafting a night I’d enjoy. The problem was, everything James had done so far was perfect.
He was perfect.
“I’m worried that I’m maybe, possibly, having some feelings for him.” My voice was barely above a whisper and Roxie had to lean in to hear me fully.
Her eyes searched mine as she set the bowl of popcorn and her glass of wine down on our coffee table. She reached out, taking my hands in hers. “Is that a bad thing?”
A lump formed in my throat.
Roxie pulled me into a hug. “Remember what our favorite movie to watch together is about? Eat, Pray, Love ? I think it’s your turn to experience life. Indulge in good food. Find yourself and maybe someone else along the way.”
Roxie might have been right, but I couldn’t shake the uncertainty about tonight’s kiss. Was it because of his feelings for me, or was it just part of helping me fulfill Anthea’s request about this week’s article? The lingering taste of his lips only added to my confusion.
“What if we started our own blog together?” The idea had been bouncing around in my head for a while. Roxie and I had tinkered with it back in college but had ultimately decided we couldn’t afford to start a business without some experience in the industry first.
Roxie pulled away from me, her brows nearly up in her hairline. “Where is this coming from?”
I reached for the bottle of wine to refill both of our glasses before I dove into my idea. A little liquid courage couldn’t hurt.
“Come on, it was our dream back in college, and I’ve been thinking about it again recently.
” I span the stem of the wineglass between my fingers as Roxie considered my offer.
She loved her job at the art gallery, but it had simply been a place for her to make connections until she could break into the food photography industry.
“What about the food critic position with Sophisticate ? You’re so close to getting it.”
Becoming a food critic for Sophisticate had always been my dream.
I’d started out as an intern, delivering coffees and becoming the queen of the copier machine.
Then, when the opportunity came for my own column, I jumped at it.
So, when Anthea had offered the promotion for “Love on Wall Street”, I didn’t see the harm in it.
But now I was wondering if it was worth it.
It was taking over my life, and I wasn’t sure how comfortable I felt with my boss telling me who to kiss, even if the kiss she’d dictated had been nothing short of earthshattering.
“There’s no guarantee. I could write this entire series and still have Anthea decide to not give me the position.
” It was time I took matters into my own hands.
Maybe I wouldn’t have the Sophisticate brand behind me and my reviews, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t make a name for myself on my own.
I’d already proven I could create my own community with my social media, so why not take it a few steps further?
“What about you? What’s your plan for getting from the gallery to food photography?”
Roxie sighed as she leaned back on the couch. “I’m not sure. My time at the gallery has been great. The clients there are wonderful to me. I’ve made great connections. But I’m still no closer to leaving than I was when I first took the job. Plus, the owner’s an asshole.”
“What if we did a dream board? Like we did in college whenever we wanted to plan our lives. We can lay it all out to start. We don’t have to decide right now.”
Roxie chewed on the idea for a moment. Back in college, she’d always been the one to jump into opportunities feet first while I’d just dip a toe in to test the waters. Her hesitation now was out of the ordinary.
“Okay, we can do a dream board. I think that’s fair. I’m just worried that now isn’t the right time.”
“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t the time be right?” Roxie’s eyes softened as she reached for my hands again.
“Honey, the last thing I want is for you to be this close to the food critic position at Sophisticate and you don’t see it through.
Yes, you could write this entire ‘Love on Wall Street’ series and Anthea could still pass you over, but why wouldn’t you at least give yourself a chance for it rather than counting yourself out before you even take your first swing? ”
My phone buzzed on the coffee table, and James’s name flashed across the screen, making my heart stop.
“That kiss must have really been something if he’s texting you only an hour after he dropped you off,” Roxie said with a knowing look.
James:
I had the best time tonight. Would you want to grab breakfast tomorrow? I know that we only agreed to our five dates … so I understand if you don’t want to. But I wanted to speak with you about an idea I had for our next date.
I stared at the message, my thumb hovering over the keyboard. I wasn’t sure what to say. On one hand, I wanted to see him again. On the other, I wasn’t sure if I should blur the line between this ridiculous arrangement and something real. Was I getting caught up in the moment?
I looked over at Roxie, who had been watching me closely. “How should I respond?”
She leaned forward, setting her glass of wine down, her eyes narrowing in thought.
“Well, for starters, stop second-guessing yourself all the time. I don’t know what it is with you and overthinking everything, but it’s holding you back.
Whether it’s James, the article, or your job application—if you want something, just go for it. ”
I took in her words, letting them sink in and ignoring the initial sting of them. Roxie was right. I’d spent so much time second-guessing every step I took, especially with this whole “Love on Wall Street” series, and now I was doing the same with James.
Taking a deep breath, I finally typed out my reply.
Hallie:
I’d love to. Can I choose the place tomorrow?
James:
I was hoping you’d say that. I want Hallie Woods’ best breakfast suggestion in all of New York City.
Were we breaking yet another rule that I’d laid out before we started all of this? Yes. Did I care? I fired off the address of my favorite breakfast spot over on the Upper West Side, only realizing the stupid grin on my face when I looked up to see Roxie staring at me with raised eyebrows.
“What?” I asked.
Roxie raised her hands. “I’m not saying anything.”
“Your face is saying something,” I argued.
But instead of responding, Roxie crammed her mouth full of popcorn and reached for the remote to find something else for us to watch.
But her message was loud and clear when she settled on a movie about a woman that hired a man as her date to her brother’s wedding, only to fall in love in the end.
“How long have you been waiting here?” I asked James as I slid out of the taxi. He was standing on the curb in front of my new favorite breakfast spot. I was starting to love seeing him dressed down in a pair of designer jeans, a gray sweater over a collared shirt, and loafers.
There was something different about him—warm, approachable charm that made my heart flutter in an unfamiliar way. His business-like demeanor softened, replaced by a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes.
What doesn’t this man look good in?
“I live a few blocks from here.” He offered me his hand as I stepped onto the sidewalk. “I’ve walked by this place a hundred times since it opened, but I’ve never stopped in. I should have known that it was good, judging by the line out the door.”