CHAPTER THIRTY
R OBERT
Later that night, as we lay in bed, I thought again about the interview. I didn’t intend to lie to Anya. Not lie—misdirect. I didn’t intend to misdirect her as we got ready for the interview. Not at all.
Frank’s question caught me off guard. I knew the answer he was probably looking for, a simple acknowledgment that, yes, life was better in a small town, and no, I didn’t have any intention of leaving now that my business was on the verge of opening. Frank wasn’t asking a controversial question and, had he done it twenty-four hours earlier, I wouldn’t have had any trouble answering it.
But that was before Hudson had sent me that email. Before he made an offer I hadn’t seen coming, and before he floated some ideas about an opportunity that had once been an out-of-reach dream when I lived in Manhattan.
Funny how a few lines in an email can have such a huge impact.
That’s really all it took to shake me up and pull me away from my expected path. Before all this, I wasn’t questioning my plan. Now, no matter what I did, I was. I was questioning everything. During the interview, Hudson’s email seemed to grow larger in my mind as I turned over every possible implication in his words.
Did I want to take a role at a venture capital firm? At one point, I did. Did I want that now? I wasn’t sure. Did I want to set up shop in Miami? Maybe.
What would that do to my life here? What about my growing relationship with Anya?
I turned over and pulled Anya closer to me, her ass snuggling against me, the warmth of her naked body a welcome pleasure for the second night in a row. She was still asleep, and I barely saw the outline of her in the darkness. Judging by the moonlight streaming through the window across from my bed, it had to be close to three in the morning.
And God, I think I’d slept about two hours.
At least the interview went well—great, even. Good Morning USA was a friendly show, with hosts who were excited to have us on and banter that made it feel like we were just having a conversation between friends. Anya handled it well too, despite being nervous and keyed up. She even managed to tell a few jokes that landed well for a show like that.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, as we fielded more calls about appearances, and I tried to get back to the final decisions needed for the bookstore renovation. Javier even thought we might be able to open in mid-August instead of Labor Day. Funny how fame suddenly made people eager to please me, ready to bend to my every whim.
I needed to check myself about that and make sure none of this went to my head. It had come quickly, and it could leave quickly. I was smart enough to understand that and smart enough to realize how fickle people could be.
No matter what, I didn’t want to be that way with Anya.
The connection we had felt genuine, and that impression only grew the more time we spent together. We might have come together under some unlikely circumstances, but the moments we shared always seemed so natural and real.
I supposed that was why I felt so bad about having avoided her question right before the interview, about having given her a noncommittal answer. Elusive wasn’t a usual descriptor for me, and I hated being that way with her. Anya deserved better, and anyone would have said that.
I wrapped my arm tighter around her. Maybe I could figure this out—maybe I could make this work out fine. I could scratch the itch Hudson had created. No problem. Any opportunity at his venture capital firm didn’t necessarily have to interfere with my plans and hopes here in New Burlington. We could make this work. I could make this work.
I will. Somehow.
Anya stirred and turned. “Hey, you’re awake.”
“Yep. Seem to have trouble sleeping lately.”
“Too much excitement.”
“Yep.”
“I keep thinking we don’t deserve it. That I’m going to wake up and be sad to find out this was all a dream.”
I kissed her. “You did great yesterday. First of many.”
She laughed. “I doubt that.”
“Plenty of other outlets want a piece of our time.”
“I know, but as soon as things get back to normal, I’ll feel a lot better. It was fun today, but that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with it.”
I kissed her again, this time deeper and longer. When she broke away, she moved against me. “Hey, what was that about in the store earlier?”
“Which part?” I asked, despite being able to guess what she meant. Still, maybe I could throw her off a little.
“When Frank asked if you liked living here. You had a weird response.”
“It wasn’t a weird response.”
She put her palms on my chest and pulled back as if that would help her see more of me in the bed. “I could tell something was up. And you can tell me what it is.”
I ran my fingers through her hair, fanning it out on the pillow. “I have a lot on my mind, that’s all. Javier thinks we can speed up the opening and that he can knock out some of the final renovations this weekend and next week.”
“Really?”
I nodded. Technically, this was a true statement. Javier was one of the many people who’d blown up my phone in the last few days, and he was adamant about doing whatever he could to speed up the opening. In his opinion, capitalizing on the momentum of the viral video was vital and achievable. I also knew he wanted more money for his extra work, but I was willing to pay it because I could see his point.
“So, I’m going to be busy the next ten days or so.”
“You are?”
“Getting the place open ahead of schedule is a big thing for me.” I shifted away from her in bed.
“I’m sure it is,” she replied. Her tone was neutral instead of encouraging.
“Does that upset you?”
“No.” She paused. “I don’t think so.”
“A week ago, you would have said something different.”
“Yep.”
“I need to go to the store early today.”
“Whatever you need.”
“Javier said he’d be there around seven, and I need to catch up with him.”
This part wasn’t true. Javier hadn’t said that—he hadn’t told me when he’d get to the job site. Still, it was only a little white lie. Sometimes, those could be useful. I figured some time by myself at the store would give me the opportunity to connect with Hudson. And I wanted to do that independently, without the distraction that came with Anya being anywhere near me. I needed to focus, and that meant being alone.
“Going to be a long day, huh?”
“Probably.”
She traced my jawline with her index finger. “Things are moving fast, but I want you to know how much I’m enjoying this. It’s been... it’s been great.”
“Been great for me too.”
Anya snuggled closer to me. “And I don’t want it to end.”
“Me neither.” I kissed her a third time, and allowed the moment to spread between us, placing my worries aside. Opportunity was a good thing—never a bad one. Maybe Anya was my forever girl, maybe she wasn’t. All I know is, I want to find out.
That doesn’t mean my life can’t take a slight detour, right?