Chapter 20 Last Chance
LAST CHANCE
Poppy
It’s New Year’s Day—time for resolutions. I had fun with Matt and Grayson, and I’m not even hungover, which is a great way to start.
The first thing I do is call Cici. I tried wishing her Happy New Year right after midnight, but she was three sheets to the wind and impossible to talk to.
It sounded like she kept asking if I loved Braden, but with all the background noise, it was hard to tell, and it seemed too out of character for that to be the case.
Which means I’m projecting, hearing what I want instead of what’s actually being said. I’m still despondent from the whole thing, and even last night, Braden was never far from my mind.
“Happy New Year!” I shout as soon as she picks up.
“Oh my God. Not so loud,” she groans, making me laugh.
“Did someone have a little too much fun last night?”
“Definitely too much to drink. Not sure about the fun part. It’s a little foggy.”
I laugh some more. “Well, I’m glad you let loose. You haven’t gone out since Abby was born. It probably felt good.”
“At first it did, now it feels like shit.”
“Well, buck up, buttercup, because we’re doing resolutions. You with me?”
“Oh geez, let me suck down my coffee for this. You’re way too peppy this morning. I’ll just call you Peppy Poppy.”
“Better than Pouty Poppy, which is what I’ve been.”
“That’s true. But you sound good all of a sudden. What’s changed?”
“Nothing, but it’s time to make changes by starting over. We’re wiping the slate clean and pretending the past five months never happened. I’m creating a new dating profile.”
She groans. “Oh, God no. You’re making my hangover worse with those words alone. The pictureless thing sucks. Look where it got you—a broken heart.”
“Yeah, still not talking about that. But you’re right, it does suck, so I’m signing up for one with pictures. I’ll just weed through the jerks looking for hookups.”
“Well, that’s a relief. Listen, I know you didn’t want to, but have you read the letters yet?”
“No, and I’m not going to. Nothing can change the fact that he did what he did, so why indulge in the fantasy that he’s someone he’s not?”
“Maybe he’s trying to be a better someone for you.”
“Uh… where is this coming from? You’ve been anti-Braden from the start. You can’t just turn on me.”
“I’m not. But I love you, and you’ve been miserable. I’d hate for you to give up without giving it a chance.”
“The last time I decided to give us a chance was when it blew up in my face, so I’m done with chances. He had plenty of opportunities to tell me the truth, but kept lying instead. Ugh. Obviously, I’m still upset over it, but the best way to move on is with someone else.”
“Let’s make a deal. If you don’t find anyone you’re interested in after three dates, you have to read the letters.”
“Why are you suddenly pushing this?”
“Because maybe there’s more to Braden than I originally gave him credit for.”
“You definitely drank too much last night. It’s fucking with your head.”
“That, I won’t deny.”
After hanging up, I spent the afternoon creating my dating profile on the site we picked out together. I’m going in with eyes wide open, so I’m not as nervous this time. I’m actually feeling hopeful.
Well, except for the tiny problem that the man I want isn’t on this app. I already found him on the last one, and I’m not sure anyone else will do.
The following week and one date later, I’m sitting in my office when Matt walks in carrying flowers.
“Another delivery for Poppy Whitaker. Where do you want it?”
I groan. “Put them on the bookshelf. Did a letter come with this one?”
“Yep. Here.” He hands it to me after setting the flowers down. “Still haven’t read any of them?”
“No,” I answer, putting it in my purse to add to the others at home.
“And you have two more dates until you have to, right?”
Cici hasn’t let me forget the condition I finally agreed to, which I made the mistake of telling Matt, who also likes to remind me. They’ve been conspiring together and driving me nuts.
“Yeah. The next is this weekend.”
I’m crossing my fingers that this will be the one that changes everything, but my hope is fading after the first one turned out awful. I kept comparing him to Braden the entire time. Unfortunately, he didn’t measure up.
“Good. I’d wish you luck, but I don’t need to. It’ll happen if it’s meant to. I’ll support you no matter what.”
He’s referring to whether I give Braden another chance. Matt was Braden’s primary critic until Cici somehow swayed him. I’m still not sure what got her to cave, but something changed after New Year’s.
“Thanks. We’ll see, I guess.”
I’m home from my second lackluster date on Friday night and let out a huge sigh of frustration as I close the front door. I’ll search for the last one tomorrow, too tired to do it tonight, and cross my fingers it’ll hit the mark.
Crawling into bed, I grab my Kindle as the familiar pang of sadness sets in.
I miss reading with Braden and talking to him about the books—playing around during the spicy scenes.
In fact, reading hasn’t been enjoyable since.
I’m frustrated that he’s affected me so much, but despite common sense, the heart wants what it wants.
Good thing the mind is stronger and winning the battle… barely.
The next day, the doorbell rings as I’m scrolling through prospects for my final date.
It’s Saturday, and for a moment, I panic, wondering if I forgot about plans with my brother or Matt, but quickly shake it off.
I’m contemplating who it could be when Braden comes to mind.
Suddenly, my heart is racing, but it plummets the second I open the door.
A delivery guy is here with a package.
“Poppy Whitaker?”
“That’s me,” I say with a sad smile.
“Sign here, please.”
I do, and he hands me the box.
“Thank you, ma’am. Have a nice day.”
“You, too,” I say before shutting the door.
That’s odd, it doesn’t show who it’s from. I open it and find two books inside, First King To Fall and Last King Standing, along with a notecard.
Poppy,
Enjoy these signed copies of books one and two of the Kings and Queens series. You’re on my list for the next two releases. I don’t know the whole story, but it sounds like you have a King begging you to be his Queen. I hope it works out the way it’s meant to.
Best of Luck xoxo
I open the first book, First King To Fall, when it hits me—this is what Braden and I read on the plane when we met, and the other is the sequel he was so mad about having to wait for. Holy shit, it must’ve just come out.
I’m about to close it to look at the other one, when I notice an inscription on the inside flap:
I fell for you, and I’m on my knees begging for another chance.
Yours truly, Braden
My heart thunders as I open the sequel, Last King Standing, to another inscription.
You showed me how to stand… to go for what I want… and what I want is you.
Truly yours, Braden
Braden
The author sent an email today to say the books were delivered and to wish me luck, so why haven’t I heard from Poppy? I expected a text at the very least. Has she truly written me off, or is this when I should fly there?
I’m losing my mind trying to decide my next move when a message from Cici shows up.
Cici: Hey, if you’re really in love with Poppy… then I have an idea. Come over for dinner at six, and if you can convince me, I’ll help you out.
Well, I’ll be damned. Ambiguous but promising. Six o’clock can’t come soon enough.
“All right, Romeo, lay it on me. I want to hear your side from beginning to end, and don’t leave anything out. If I’m going to do this, you have to prove you’re sincere,” Cici says from the couch across from me, her legs curled under her, while Eli sits on the floor with Abby.
When I arrived, Eli answered the door with Abby in his arms, handed me a drink, and said I’ll need it if I’m joining forces with Cici.
Man, was he right. She told me Poppy called her about the books, which prompted her to intervene.
She said someone had to step in and help the two idiots sort this out.
I spend the next thirty minutes recounting everything, fessing up to why Poppy couldn’t stand me at first, to when my feelings changed, to how I got myself into this mess. She shakes her head and sighs when I’m finished.
“You really screwed up.”
I raise my beer in a mock toast. “Tell me something I don’t know.” Then I take a large swig.
“She signed up for another dating app.”
I’m barely able to swallow without spitting all over their carpet. “WHAT? When?”
“New Year’s Day. It was her solution to put this behind her, which happened to be her resolution.
And before you go ballistic, she hasn’t had any luck.
” Then, with raised brows, a tilt of her head, and crossed arms, she adds, “And you can thank me for making a deal with her that if she had no success after three dates, she’d have to read your letters. ”
A smile forms in response. “I could kiss you right now.”
“Let’s not,” she deadpans.
“I second that,” Eli pipes in.
“So has she?” I ask eagerly.
“No, she’s insisting on her third date first.”
“Seriously? She’s still going on another, even after she got the books?”
“Hence, my intervention. So are you ready to hear my plan?”
“I’m all ears since nothing I’ve done has worked.”
“You should set up a profile on her new dating app.”
This time, I do spit my beer out. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
She cracks up as Eli shakes his head.
“I told you you’d need that drink,” he says.
She can’t stop laughing as she speaks, “That’s… the crazy… thing. I’m… not… kidding,” she finishes while trying to catch her breath.
I can’t even crack a smile at the suggestion after the hell I’ve gone through. I can’t imagine where she’s going with this.
“Start explaining then,” I demand.
After she finally calms down, she tells me her insane idea.
“What better way to fix the situation than the same way you fucked it up in the first place? Only this time, you’ll make the profile as yourself and fill it out for real.
With pictures, mind you. The key is that all your answers will point to Poppy specifically when it asks what you’re looking for. ”
“I like where you’re going with this, but how do we know she’ll see it?”
“Leave that to me. I’ll figure it out. I’ve already talked her into taking the day off from searching.”
“Oh shit, you really are serious.”
“Well, somebody needs to fix this craptastic mess, since you two knuckleheads can’t. Are you ready?”
“What? You want me to do it now?”
“Duh. I need to make sure you do it right. Plus, it needs to be in the system by tomorrow.”
I shake my head and sigh. When Cici puts her mind to something, there’s no getting out of it. This I’ve learned well over the years.
Forty-five minutes later, after completing the about information and uploading a photo, we reach the question section.
Cici bounces on the couch and claps her hands excitedly. “Yay. We’re finally to the good part. Hand me your phone.”
“Why?”
“So I can ask you the questions and input your answers. It’s more fun this way.” She smiles.
As I hand it over, Eli laughs and rises from the floor. “Time for another beer?”
“Apparently.” I chuckle, then add, “Since my hands are free.”
“Okay, first question, oooh, this is good. What are you looking for in a relationship?”
“Faithfulness—”
“No, this is where you make it all about Poppy specifically. So, your answer would go like this: Marriage and babies.”
“Seriously?”
She cocks her head to the side. “Do you want this to work or not?”
“Sure. Go for it.” I say exasperated, ready to move on.
Eli hands me a beer while chuckling. “Sucks to be you, man.”
I give him the finger.
“Okay, what does a successful relationship mean to you?”
“One where my girlfriend’s name is Poppy.”
“Perfect. You’re learning.”
I respond by chugging half my beer, wondering if I’m wasting my time or if this harebrained idea has a chance.
“How important is honesty and communication to you in a relationship? That’s a tough one, considering.” She cocks a brow.
“Thanks,” I say sarcastically, then hum in concentration. “How about, much more than a month ago?”
“We can just skip this one.”
“Wait. How about… Honesty is very important, and putting Bozeman in my profile is the last lie I’ll tell.”
“Yeah, let’s skip it. Next. How important is physical attraction to you? This is where you can put her specific traits that stand out.”
“My tastes are particular. I’m attracted to red-haired, freckled, slim girls about five-foot-four with perfect pouty lips and an ass to die for.”
“I’m leaving the ass part out.” She beams cynically. “How important is it to find someone who shares your hobbies?”
“It’s a must. I want someone to read romance novels with, have book discussions, and act out certain scenes with.”
“Okay, TMI. I’m cutting you off.”
I laugh and down the rest of my beer. I’m having fun for the first time since I left Bozeman. I never expected Cici to be the one to help me get Poppy back, but with her in my corner, I’m more hopeful than I’ve been in weeks.
“Three more. How do you feel about long-distance relationships?”
“Love them. Five states away is ideal, somewhere on the western side of the country.”
She laughs as she types.
“What are your dealbreakers regarding online communication when first contacting someone?”
“If they’re unwilling to FaceTime to verify they match their profile.”
“Oh boy, we’ll see how she takes that one. Ooh, ooh, the last one is perfect. What are your intentions for being on a dating site?”
“To win my girlfriend Poppy back by any means necessary. Groveling until she can’t resist me any longer.”
Cici squeals in delight as she finishes entering it.
“So, do you think this will work? Because if it backfires, this very well may be my last chance.” Until I think of something else, anyway.
“I know it will. We just need her to find your profile—the rest will take care of itself. You might want to fly to Bozeman for that date, though. Eli, do we have a plane he could borrow?” She smirks at her husband, who rolls his eyes.