Page 143 of The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love

He ignores me and focuses on the magazine article. ‘How to Tell If You’ve Fallen in Love.’ His gaze shoots straight back to mine. ‘Seriously?’

‘It’s a bit of fun to quell First Day Promotion nerves,’ I defend.

Carlos regards me with a deep frown before leaning back in his chair to call out in the direction of the kitchen, ‘Ozzie, we have a problem.’

‘There’s no problem,’ I whisper and then repeat it again louder as Oz comes out from the kitchen, looks at the article, sighs, and walks over to flip the sign on the door to ‘Closed’.

‘What are you doing?’ I ask. ‘With business doing better you can’t put the “Closed” sign on the door like that. And where’s my muffin?’ The request is all indignant as my heart starts galloping. My confidence from a minute ago shines less brightly as if preparing for pin-popping bubble-bursting.

Oz retrieves the muffin from the counter and sets it down on the table before sitting down next to Carlos. There’s a little paper banner he’s stuck into the top that reads: You’re Going to Be Great and I relax. Until I look at the matching serious expression on his face and repeat, ‘It’s a harmless quiz.’

‘Right.’ Oz nods. ‘So, are you mostly As, Bs or Cs?’

My big toe starts tingling. ‘I only got as far as question two,’ I lie.

Oz turns to Carlos. ‘Look at her. She’s Mostly A’s – Definitely Fallen.’

Carlos gives a sad shake of his head. ‘What the actual, Ashleigh?’

‘You know when I was invited to swing by this morning for a Good Luck Congratulatory muffin I didn’t expect?—’

‘Dish or no muffin,’ Carlos insists, dragging the muffin to his side of the table.

I stare at them both mutinously, knowing I’m not getting out of here until I do. ‘Okay, so … we kissed. George and I.’

‘You didn’t,’ Carlos whispers.

‘In the rain.’ I stare at the muffin then, unable to help myself, my gaze drifts back up to them and I let out a happy sigh. ‘It was like that scene in The Notebook.’

‘It wasn’t,’ Carlos says but his words are in that type of hushed tone you use when the details are undeniably epic. He takes a moment to process and then says, ‘Yeah, okay, I can see that. The guy’s got charisma in spades. All straightforward confidence and sexy earnestness. But don’t go mistaking that and a sizzling smooch for something more.’

‘He asked for all your favourites when he came in to get the picnic,’ Oz says.

Carlos turns to him. ‘You didn’t tell me that.’ He turns back to look at me. ‘So, he knew he was going to make a move on Governors Island. It was like a date. A date with moves at the end.’

‘No, the kiss was…’ I drift off, shivering as I remember the way he drew me in, as if he couldn’t not. The incredibly gentle brush of his thumb against my bottom lip. His groan as he lowered his mouth to mine. ‘It was spontaneous. We were arguing and?—’

‘Arguing?’ Carlos’s voice goes up a notch. ‘Your first time with George was after an argument? Arguing and then sex is not a healthy pattern to set.’

‘We were arguing about him leaving and we didn’t have sex.’

‘Why not? That’s even worse. What’s wrong with the guy?’

‘Nothing. He didn’t want me to feel like it was going to be goodbye sex. He wants me to understand he’s coming back after his brother’s wedding. It was romantic.’ Gallant. Enthralling. Perfect.

I may not have appreciated him pushing against the confines of being friend-zoned beforehand but I’m so glad he did. Me backing off and giving him a let-out hadn’t been a ploy. I’m not into playing games. It had been about saving face. I hadn’t expected him to fight for not letting us fizzle into nothing but the fact that he did makes my heart beat faster. I mean, I know he fought for Anya but this is different, right?

‘This is so much worse than I expected,’ Carlos says.

‘Why?’

‘Because—’ He breaks off and looks at Oz. ‘You tell her.’

‘Tell her what?’ Oz asks. ‘I like him for her.’

At least one of them is on my side. Even so, I steel myself to ask Carlos, ‘Why don’t you like George?’

‘I like him just fine. Oz is going to talk to you now, in a calm manner, about you only just coming back to life and falling for something that?—’

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