Page 42 of Happy Trails & Honey Pots

My palms were tingling as I walked to the door. I’d never had tingling palms before meeting Zoe, and now the suckers practically tingled all the time. When I opened the door, I was momentarily stunned, speechless. It wasn’t the first time that Zoe had stolen my ability to form words or even breathe.

Zoe’s long, brown hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders. She wore a white top that showed just a hint of cleavage. And a floral skirt that fell to her mid-thigh. The wedges she had on emphasized the feminine curve of her slender calves, and her toenails were painted a pale pink. I was used to seeing herin casual clothes, scrubs, jeans, and sweats. This softer side of her accentuated her femininity, and it awakened a very primal, caveman side in me. I wanted to pick her up and throw her over my shoulder.

“Hi.” She lifted her arm and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she dipped her head, revealing the sexy slope of her neck.

My mouth watered at the sight, like I was Robert Pattinson inTwilight.

“You look…beautiful.” I knew it wasn’t appropriate to say, but I couldn’t help myself. She did.

Her face flushed as she ran her hands down her shirt. “Oh, thanks. I had the day off from work, and as I mentioned, AJ is at science camp, and Walter is on a fishing trip, so I had the house to myself and spent the day doing some self-care today. Sometimes it’s nice not to be in scrubs.”

“You look hot in scrubs.” That was strike number two. I just couldn’t stop myself from saying inappropriate things. If HR were here, they would have a field day.

Her eyes rolled dismissively. “No one looks hot in scrubs.”

I stepped back and held the door open. “You do.”

And that was strike number three. I wasn’t sure why, but every time I opened my mouth, I flirted with her. It was a compulsion I couldn’t stop.

Her eyes flicked up to mine as she walked past me, then looked around the space. “Wow, the last time I was here was for a field trip in elementary school. This place looks a lot better.”

“It’s worked out really well for us.”

She bit her inner lip and shifted the weight of her body from one foot to another. “So, did you have tapes or…”

“Oh, right.” I’d totally forgotten why she was here. The second I saw her; my mind went blank. She had that effect on me.

I pulled out a seat at the conference table in front of my computer that was set up with all the files ready to go. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? Can I get you anything?”

“No. I’m fine. I had leftovers earlier.”

“Are you sure? A water? Soda?”

She shook her head as she lowered down into the seat. “I’m good. Thanks. So, what am I supposed to be looking for? Is it the person who looks the most like me?”

“No.” I shook my head. There was no way we’d ever find anyone as beautiful as she was. Thankfully, I was able to keep that observation to myself. “Just look for the person you think captures your spirit the most. That you feel could show the emotions of what you went through.”

Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at the screen in front of her. “Oh, that’s not gonna be fun.”

“It is for an actor. The more emotional a character’s arc, the better.”

She laughed. “Well, then whoever gets this role, it’s gonna be like Christmas and their birthday all wrapped up in one.”

Damn, I wanted so badly to lean over and kiss her. It broke my heart the way she could make light of everything she’d gone through.

I pointed to the screen. “Those are the links to the top ten candidates the casting director sent. You can just click through them and let me know your thoughts. If you don’t like any of them, we can send out another call for more submissions.”

“Just click on it?” she asked as she moved the mouse, and the arrow hovered over the first hyperlink.

“Yep.” I sat back in my chair, trying to get myself under control as the first actress filled the screen.

Zoe watched each performance twice. I was doing my best to pay attention and answer her questions, but I couldn’t think straight. Not with her sitting so close. I was hyper-aware ofher light floral scent, of the patterns of her breath, of every movement she made, every slight twitch, every time she shifted, every sound she made. I’d never felt so in tune with another person.

I wanted to know if she felt the same, but I knew I couldn’t ask her. I couldn’t cross that line. I had to keep my thoughts, my feelings, and most importantly, my hands and my lips to myself.

19

ZOE

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