Page 15 of Accidentally Under Your Tree

"You don't have to pay for my drinks." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Seems like the right thing to do on a first date." He grinned in that unarming way of his. "I'll walk you to the elevators."

He still seemed interested in me, despite my sporadic behavior. I could turn this around.

Be bold, I insisted in my mind. But I'd used up my lifetime supply on one perfect kiss.

William

Six nights before Christmas

Fifty-Five minutes before the bar

I had excused myself to the bathroom fifteen minutes ago. The water I'd splashed dripped from my chin. In the mirror, a face displaying a disturbing combination of horror and disbelief stared back at me. My eyes were too wide, and I couldn't convince my mouth to close.

My blood pressure ratcheted up to the extreme. So much so that just the back door closing startled me.

"This is unbelievable," I kept hissing at my reflection, as if repeating it would make it less true.

I jumped again at a tap on the bathroom door.

"Bill, you good?" Rose asked, her voice muffled by the wooden barrier between us.

I sucked a deep breath in through my nose, scrunching my eyes shut. There was no avoiding this. I had to tell her.

"Fuck," I mouthed.

Opening the door, I pulled her in the room with me.

"You need to come out of the bathroom. It's been a weird amount of time," she said, pressing her back to the floral-patterned wallpaper across from the sink.

I scratched at my eyebrow, then ran my hand down my face. Was there a combination of words that could make this less terrible?

I groaned. "You're gonna kill me."

"Why?"

"It's not safe to tell you, because you're gonna kill me."

Rose snorted and rolled her eyes. A behavior so much like Lizzy, I couldn't believe I didn't notice it last night. But the message in the gesture differed between the two of them. Rose's eye roll said,You're being annoying, while Lizzy's said,I haven't decided if you're worth my time.

Which was my catnip and downfall.

Rose was going to kill me.

"Stop being dramatic and just tell me,” she said.

The lip of the counter pressed into my hip. I scraped my palm across my lips, shaking my head.

She considered me out of the corner of her eye. "Okay, you're actually scaring me at this point."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled into my hand. Sighing, I repeated, "I'm really sorry."

I needed to just say it. "I met Lizzy last night."

"Lizzy?"

"Anne."

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