Page 58 of Vacation Friends

Right on time, a knock sounded at her door.

She didn’t live in a fancy building with a doorman or any type of security. Anyone could come and go.

She was still embarrassed for Garrick to see her apartment, to see just how little she had. But maybe it was better if he saw this now rather than later. If he was interested in pursuing her, he needed to go in with his eyes wide open. Doing so would spare a lot of heartache later.

Cecilia pulled the door open and did a double take when she saw Garrick standing there wearing the suit she’d helped him pick out—with a blue tie, as she’d suggested.

He looked as if he had stepped off the pages of a magazine with his coifed hair, chiseled features, and perfect grin.

She still couldn’t believe this man had asked her out. She wanted to pinch herself to ensure this wasn’t just a fairy tale.

This was her real life.

But she still needed to be careful not to get her hopes up. She had no idea where this was going.

Garrick let out a low whistle. “You look gorgeous.”

Her cheeks warmed. “Thank you. What do you think of the dress?”

She slowly twirled before doing a curtsy.

“I think it’s perfect.” His beaming eyes said everything. He approved—he more than approved. Then he offered his arm. “Are you ready to go?”

“I am.”

She ignored the quell of nerves that suddenly rose in her. She grabbed the clutch she’d found tucked in her closet, one she’d picked up at a secondhand store. Then she stepped out and locked the door to her apartment.

So far, so good. But she still had to get through this event with Garrick. She wasn’t sure what to expect. Wasn’t sure what his friends might be like.

She was more of a blue-collar kind of girl, one who’d grown up going to rodeos and backyard cookouts. Fancy events had meant going to weddings—usually in a church—with a reception following featuring cake, mints, and peanuts.

“I think tonight’s going to be a lot of fun,” Garrick started, almost as if reading her mind.

They strolled down the hallway toward the apartment’s exterior door and the busy street beyond.

“Is that right?” Cecilia glanced up, curious about where he was going with that statement. “What is it going to be like?”

“It’s a charity event for the art gallery.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know a lot about art—except that I know when I like something and when it evokes a feeling in me. But none of those abstract pieces do it for me. They only confuse me.”

He chuckled. “Me too, even though sometimes I fake my admiration just to make my friends happy.”

His words made her feel a little better.

“Just relax and be yourself.” He patted her hand, which was resting through his looped arm. “I know everyone will love you.”

Cecilia wished she felt that confident. “Will you have friends and colleagues there?”

“I guess you could say that. There will be a variety of people. Many of them I rub elbows with at these kinds of events. It’s always nice to have someone with me so I don’t have to navigate these waters alone.”

Something about his words caused some of her excitement to dim.

That almost sounded as if he made a habit of bringing different women to these events.

Was Cecilia just one in a long line?

She knew the answer was most likely yes. Garrick definitely had his pick of women. So why had he chosen her?

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