Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
“Could be worse,” I say. “You could be herding horny housewives. If this show doesn’t get picked up, I’m back on housewife duty in February.”
She glances back at me, her expression brightening. “Oh, come on. That sounds amazing. They’re so funny.”
“Funny and horrible. And honestly, kind of gross. Sex is great and all, but in my humble opinion, a certain amount of discretion should be involved. If I never have to send a cameraman to hover outside a closed door to catch the boinking sounds on the other side again, it’ll be too soon.”
She winces. “Yeah, I can see that. It’s funny on television with the voiceovers and music and a quick cut away, but in real life it would feel creepy to be in situations like that all the time. I don’t even like seeing my friend Kayla make out with her boyfriend, and they keep their clothes on when they’re going at it under the mistletoe in the lobby.”
“You have mistletoe in the lobby?”
“And the library and the banquet room and some hidden in the hallway upstairs.”
I shake my head. “You know it’s poisonous, right?”
She lifts a shoulder and lets it fall. “I do, but the guests beg for it every year.”
“All parts of it. Berries, stems, and leaves. I know because I—” I break off as I realize I’m about to tread into tricky territory.
Caroline’s eyes narrow. “Because you what?”
I press my lips together for a beat, but finally confess, “Because Vivian refused to allow it in the apartment. I bought some at the farmer’s market as a joke one time, but she was afraid Greg would eat it and die. She made me take it to the compost bin two blocks over to be safe.”
“It’s so wild that she left him behind,” Caroline says, her brow wrinkling. “I used to tease her that she liked him more than her boyfriends. She doted on that cat.”
I nod. “Yeah, she did. But she doted on me, too…until she didn’t.”
Caroline turns, lifting her chin. “I’m sorry she hurt you.”
“It’s fine. I’m fine. Truly. We never would have made it long-term; I see that now. It’s just…” I pull in a breath and hear myself confess something I haven’t told anyone, “It’s just the way she made me doubt myself that drives me crazy. I used to think I was good at reading people, that I was a solid judge of who I could trust. I thought I could smell a lie at ten paces, but when Vivian left… When I realized she’d told so many lies to me and about me…” I sigh. “It shook my faith. In myself.”
Caroline rests a hand on my chest, making me wish I didn’t have my lapels buttoned all the way up. I’d like to feel her hand through just my sweater.
I’m that drawn to this woman.
Even an innocent touch through my clothes would be enough to make my damned day.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I haven’t had much time to think about Chris and the Rockette situation, but once I do, I’m sure it’ll mess with my head, too. I really thought he loved me. Or at least loved the idea of me. My sense of humor was always a mystery to him, and he couldn’t understand why I spent so much time reading, but…I thought I checked all his boxes. I was local, fourth generation mountain stock, attractive, liked hiking as much as he did, and had a job that gave him free access to the best hot tub in Southern Vermont.” She shrugs. “And he was always around. I’d barely catch my breath after work on our mid-week date night, and he’d be downstairs, asking what we were going to watch on Netflix or if I had lunch meat for a sandwich. I honestly have no idea how he had time to carry on a fling with a woman in the city. Seemed like he was always underfoot.”
“Underfoot,” I echo wryly. “Sounds like you two were a match made in heaven.”
She laughs, the full-throated, husky laugh I love. “I know. I’m awful, but half the time, he drove me crazy. It felt like I was his after-hours concierge, not his girlfriend. We weren’t long-term relationship material, either. I’ve known that for a long time.” She makes a thoughtful face. “Maybe that’s why we couldn’t tell that they were lying?”
“Because it wasn’t meant to be?”
“No, because we were lying, too,” she says. “To them…and to ourselves.”
My brows slide up my forehead. “Insightful, Ms. Cane.”
“Thank you, Mr. Fenton,” she says, holding my gaze with an intensity that makes the urge to kiss her almost unbearable. “I’m tired of lying to myself. From now on, I want to tell the truth, even if it’s hard.”
“Sounds scary.” I tuck a lock of her swirling hair behind her ear. “And brave.”