Page 8 of That's a Wrap

“Your phone literally has a GPS in it. Use it.”

“But what if?—”

“Oh my God! Fine!” She rips the phone out of my hand and forcefully taps the screen. “Here,” she says when she’s done, practically throwing it back at me.

I catch it and smile up at her, feeling victorious as I see her struggling to suppress her own smile.

“I’m serious, Peter,” she warns while wagging a finger in my face. “You do not need to contact me.Iwill be the one to messageyou. Is that clear?”

“Crystal,” I confirm.

She gives me a curt nod. “Good.” Then she hesitates for a second before continuing. “Well, then, I guess I’ll see you on Thursday. Goodbye, Peter.” She pivots on her heel to get back to work. But she pauses midstride and mumbles over her shoulder, “It wasn’t totally horrible seeing you again.”

And because I’m just a golden retriever in a man’s body, I jump up and call out loudly, “See you soon, Elle! I’m looking forward to Thursday!”

She spares me one last glare, tempered by a pretty pink blush on her cheeks, before she disappears through theemployees onlydoor.

I smile at Susan and Tim, who have tucked themselves into the back corner of the cafe, where they seem to be sharing secret glances. “Thank you again for lunch, and for helping me find my own personal tour guide. You guys are lifesavers.”

“It’s our pleasure, dear,” Susan responds with a giggle. The two of them wave me goodbye and I head back to work.

Feeling like I’ve just won the lottery, I unwrap my sandwich as I walk and take a generous bite. Of course, it’s delicious, and I let myself get lost in the flavors of oven-roasted turkey, garden-fresh tomato, green leaf lettuce, and aged Swiss cheese. And while the sandwich is great, having Elle’s number is even better. With my free hand, I pull my phone out of my pocket.

Counting down the days until Thursday!

Even though I’ve already left the cafe, I can practically hear her groaning when she sees my message pop up. I don’t expect her to text back, so I slide my phone into my pocket again and continue to make my way back to the resort.

Oh yeah, moving here was definitely a good idea.

4

ELLE

Who the hell is that?

I wake up early to the sound of my phone buzzing from a text. I blink open my eyes, wondering who has lost their damn mind before the crack of dawn, then groan and throw my head back against the pillow when I see the message.

Peter:

It’s finally Thursday! What time should I pick you up?

Of course, it’s Peter. That sexy lunatic’s been texting me almost nonstop since I gave him my number a few days ago. He’s always sending me stories about his day or little comments about the weather. Yesterday, he even sent a picture of the cat that wanders around the boardwalk. Her face was scrunched up in a glare and the photo was a little blurry, like she was trying to run away from him. A feeling I know all too well. However, when he wrote:This you?I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up from my chest, and my fingers were already typing out a response before I could stop myself.

I wish I was as cool as Saltwater Sally. She’s a true town icon.

Responding at all turned out to be a mistake because then he bombarded me with so many GIFs and emojis that I had to put my phone ondo not disturb.

My cell buzzes again and my hand snakes out from the warmth of my covers to grab it.

Peter:

Are you still sleeping or are you ignoring me?

I can practically see his big, brown, puppy-dog eyes through the phone.

I’m sleeping. Like every other normal person at 5:30 in the morning.

I respond and slam my pillow over my head. It does nothing to silence the buzz of my phone, and my eyes spring open when the sound continues, letting me know I’m getting a phone call.

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