Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Naomi
“ O h!” I exclaim, the sound leaving my lips entirely on its own volition. My brain short circuits, offering no help with closing my gaping mouth.
Sam smiles and shakes his head. “Of course this is how this would go for me. Sorry to drag you into my bad luck.”
I laugh, blinking myself back into the present moment. “No, no. It’s not bad luck. I’m happy to see you. It’s been forever.”
I realize with a start where we are and hold up my phone as a defensive shield. “I’m just here to do a piece for my Instagram channel. Being single in Austin, that kind of thing. Women go crazy for it. I’m not actually…” I trail off as I realize how badly I just stepped in it. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being here looking for someone. I mean…I’m going to shut up now.”
Sam laughs in the easy, good-natured way I remember from spying on him and the others from behind my book, pretending not to hang on their every word as I created worlds in my little girl mind with those guys at the center .
He’s aged well—like, so well—and I can't take my eyes off him. His dark brown hair now has salt and pepper at the temples, and charming smile lines crease his eyes and cheeks. He’s…gorgeous.
Shit, how long have I been staring?
I look away quickly and suck down my drink.
“It’s okay. I know what you mean. It wasn’t my first choice to be here either, but I’m finding it pretty difficult to meet anyone on the island. One of our vendors lives in the city and set me up with this event, so I figured, what the heck. At the very least, I might get to talk to someone who isn’t my employee for a few minutes.”
He cocks his head and tosses me another disarming smile. I can feel myself leaning forward just to get closer to him and try to stop…but I can’t.
“And what do you know? I run into little Naomi.”
The blush that shoots across my face is so hot I nearly fan myself.
Did these sweater ladies get closer in the last minute?
“Well, I’m happy to have run into you. Are you in town for a while? I’m a bit of a local expert. I’d love to take you around and show you what Austin has to offer.” I can almost hear the desperation in my voice.
Look at me, I’m an adult now. Hang out with me.
If anything could ever bring back the feeling of growing up lonely on the big New York estate, it’s this feeling right here. The please pay attention to me feeling.
Sam just shoots me that smile again.
I’m dead. Literally.
“I fly out of Houston tomorrow, but I don't have any plans for tonight. Well, other than this.”
I pull my notebook out so fast I elbow not one but both sweater ladies, earning me matching glares. “Give me your number, and I’ll text you when it's over.”
“We’ll both be here when it’s over.”
“Just in case.” I’ve got to keep it together, but try telling that to the little girl I’ve become. I can almost feel the hot sun of a New York summer, smell the grass, and feel the cool lake water as it dries on my skin.
I’m definitely sweating.
Sam pulls the notebook across the table and jots his number down. When he slides it back, I grip the flimsy pages to my chest like a treasure.
The timer goes off, and I jump a foot, earning more glares from either side. “Dang. That was really short.”
“Speed dating, I guess.”
I’m not ready to say goodbye, not with the way he’s been looking at me, but he’s already sliding down the bench to the next lucky lady. With his eyes locked on mine.
“See you later,” I mouth silently.
He just grins and gives me a wink before turning his attention to his new date like a perfect gentleman.
OH. MY. GOD.
Sam freaking Griffin. One of my brother’s best friends and business partners. What are the odds? I’m about to pull my phone out and start doing what I do best—googling him and posting all about my fantastic speed date blast from the past—when a voice cuts through my ecstatic celebration.
“Hi, I’m Mike.”
I look up from my phone and reality comes crashing down on me like the stupid ice bucket challenge I got talked into.
I steal a quick glance down the bench, trying to count how many of these “Mikes” I’m going to have to suffer through before I get Sam back.
“And you’re Naomi, I see.”
I snap back to center. “Yes, sorry. Naomi. It’s nice to meet you, Mike.”
And so it goes. Each new guy is a blur of pleasantries and job titles. I smile politely and offer as much information as is strictly required before allowing the guy to jot his number down in my growing list of digits I’ll never call.
It’s truly amazing how much guys think we care about their jobs. I make a mental note to chat with Bev about giving them a better pep talk. We want to get an idea of their income level—hell, that should be on the damn name tag—but the last thing we want to do is spend five minutes hearing about residency rounds or sales calls.
“Nice to meet you, Steve. Have a great rest of your evening.”
“The night is young if you want to grab a drink here or at another bar. You’re my last date and favorite woman I’ve met tonight.”
I can feel the side eye from his previous date next to me as I try to manage an apologetic smile. “Sorry, not tonight. But I have your number.” I hold up my notebook as proof.
“Well, be sure to use it.”
I smile just long enough for the guy to wander off before letting it drop like a stone.
“You sure did well,” the lady next to me says, eyeing my list of numbers.
“I guess I did.” I glance at her much shorter list and bite my lip. “Do you want them?”
“Your list of numbers?” she asks, incredulous.
“Yeah. There’s only one I want.” I tear the paper neatly, so my notes and Sam’s number are safe at the top, offering the rest of the sheet, with the whole list of guys’ names and numbers, to the stunned blondie.
“Thank you. Wow.” She tucks the paper in her purse like I just handed her a hundred dollar bill.
“Do you want to take a selfie?” I ask, already planning the caption for the photo that shows just how generous I am for helping this poor lady out.
I find Sam at the bar, talking with some random lady. I try to exude enough “get the fuck out of here” juju to scare her off, and it works.
Still got it.
“There you are. Any luck with the guys?”
I blush as laughter rises up from my belly. I’ve got to get this under control. I’m turning into a puddle every time this guy opens his mouth.
I may have had a teeny crush on him growing up, but I had crushes on all my brother’s friends. They were like idols to me. Untouchable, so cool, like characters in a movie I wasn’t allowed to watch.
But there’s no reason to still be stumbling over my words all these years later.
“Not exactly. I got plenty of numbers, but none I’m going to use.”
“Ouch,” Sam offers good naturedly.
“Oh, I didn’t mean yours. I’m definitely going to use yours.”
His eyebrows raise, and I suppress another giggle.
“So, Miss Austin expert. Where to now?”
I tap my chin and consider. I was planning to just go home, but this opportunity is too good to pass up. “You hungry?”
“Always.”
“How about tacos?”
“My love language.”
Oh god, Naomi. Do not swoon.
“Great. Perfect. Well…” I glance around the bar at the people milling about. “It’s over, right? Can we just leave?”
I look back at Sam and he smiles. “I doubt they’re going to try to keep us here.”
“Right. Okay. Tacos.”
And just like that, I’m leaving the bar arm-in-arm with an adorable ghost from my past.