Chapter 9
9
JOELY
“ O kay, spill it. What the heck is up with you tonight?”
My roommate and I were on our third drink after having dinner at a fancy steakhouse. As I sat at the high-top table in a bar with Rachel, I thought back to when I’d met her soon after moving to the city.
Actually, I’d met her even before I moved. She’d posted on social media that she was looking for a roommate. Yes, that normally would be a recipe for ending up on a missing persons poster, but we had mutual friends, and I was able to get to know her through the videos she’d posted on that social media site.
She was three months younger and had just started a career as a property manager, working for a company that handled suburban rentals. She was single and preferred staying home to going out and partying, just like I did. Dinner and a drink or two were usually all we could handle before heading back home and putting on our PJs.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You’ve been weird all night.”
I’d beelined for Nashville after seeing the happy couple off. Hunter disappeared as soon as their taillights were no longer visible. It was for the best, I told myself. Goodbyes were never fun.
“I met a guy,” I said.
There. It was out. I had to be honest with Rachel. She knew my stance on dating—that I was taking a break after realizing most of the men I met around here were only after one thing. But I’d finally met a man who wasn’t, and I’d walked away from him.
I couldn’t help it. I had a life here. I couldn’t just not come back.
Rachel squirmed in her seat, her face lighting up. “Tell me about him. Was he a mountain man? Was he hot like your friend’s husband?”
I couldn’t help but smile at that. Mallorie was married now. It was hard to believe. It seemed like just yesterday we were sleeping over at each other’s houses, painting our nails and talking about who we’d marry someday.
“Yes,” I said. “His name’s Hunter, and he’s about as hot as they come.”
“Did you…?”
My eyes widened. I knew exactly what she was asking, and she’d totally understand if I said I didn’t want to talk about it. But I did want to talk about it.
“Yes,” I said. “I’m no longer a virgin.”
“Eek!” Rachel clapped her hands together. “This is so awesome.”
We’d both been virgins…until yesterday. I couldn’t even remember how it had come up in conversation, but I’d been so relieved to find someone like me in the city. I definitely didn’t think that was possible.
“What was it like?” she asked, her eyes flickering with excitement.
She wanted every detail. But it hurt to relive it.
“Incredible,” I said. “I think I’m in love.”
The words were out of my mouth before I even realized I was going to say them. Rachel’s expression softened, and her eyebrows rose.
“Wait,” she said. “You’re in love, and you came back here?”
“I came back here for your birthday. And this is where I live.”
I felt a little sick even saying it. Just twenty-four hours ago, I’d been perfectly fine with my life. In fact, I would have said I was happy. But suddenly, it all seemed meaningless. None of it mattered without Hunter in my life.
“If you’re in love, you can’t stay here,” Rachel said.
I stared at her for the longest time, unblinking. “What exactly are you saying? I can’t just leave my job—and you—because I met a guy.”
“No, but you can move back to the town where you grew up. You can date him, get married, have kids, and find work. Hell, become a real estate agent or a city planner. Work remotely for another company. Your boss might even work with you.”
“My boss won’t let me do that,” I said.
He was very against remote work. And I couldn’t exactly afford to just not have income. But it wasn’t like I was moving to a strange city. I knew people in Seduction Summit. I could rent a vacation cabin, maybe even take over for Mallorie, who’d been staying in cabins in a sort of “staging” situation. If not, Mallorie knew people and could hook me up with a temporary place to stay. I could make it work.
“You’re right,” I said. “I belong in Seduction Summit. You should come too. There are tons of employment opportunities in that town. At least come visit. I promise you’ll fall in love with it.”
She smiled. “I may take you up on that. I could use a weekend in the mountains. And it’s only what, a few hours from here?”
“Six,” I said.
I should know. I’d made that drive twice in as many days.
Rachel was the best thing about Nashville. And if I could get her to Seduction Summit, my hometown would be even better.
“I’m going to have to quit my job,” I said, thinking it through as I spoke. “And find someone else to take over my share of the rent.”
Rachel shook her head. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it.”
Yeah, money wasn’t an issue for Rachel. Her parents were from Nashville and wealthy as heck. But she wasn’t, and she’d insisted on paying her own way at our East Nashville rental home. Still, she had a decent cushion to fall back on if she was out of work for a few weeks.
Yes, I just might be able to talk her into moving. Maybe she’d visit and fall in love with a hot mountain man. If I could do it in twenty-four hours, she could do it in a weekend.
I sat back in my seat, a big smile on my face. My future was right in front of me. I just had to go get it.