Page 14 of The Hopelessly Bromantic Duet

She picks some more shirts, sliding me a wide-eyed,I’m waitinglook. “So, how did it go? Did you see that guy? Does he have a name, so I don’t have to keep calling himthat guyevery time you come by to share the little juicy details?”

I wish I knew details. In my mind, I’ve already detailed his body, his hands, his mouth. For a hookup. A casual fling.

“Yeah. I did. We got a drink last night,” I tell Helen.

She howls with delight, “So I was right!” Then she slugs me on the arm. “Told you as much. He fancied you just the same.”

I laugh, not sure what to say. It’s hard to know if a guy digs youjust the same.I return to her question. “And his name is Jude.”

Her lips twitch. “Jude?”

My brow knits. “Yeah. Like ‘Hey, Jude.’”

“Jude from the bookshop?”

“You know him?” I ask, unsure where this is going.

“Jude as in ‘looks like a bloody fucking movie star’?”

Never has there been a more fitting description. I smile. “Yeah. That’d be him.”

Helen slaps the counter, wildly entertained, it seems. “Well, I’ll have you know, he happened to be walking by the shop yesterday after you left.”

“Okay?”

“Like he was looking for someone...” She sighs impatiently, her tone telling me to connect the romantic dots.

But really? Should I? “Are you saying he was looking for me?”

“Yessss. It’s obvious. He decided he’d been too vague in his come-hither and went to find you himself.”

No. Because that’s too good to be true. Although, I do like the way her brain works. “Those are a lot of logic leaps there, Eggplant Helen. But I appreciate the matchmaker in you.”

“Mark my words. You’ll be seeing him tonight. Did you make plans?”

“Yes. Sort of. We made plans to see each other, but I’m supposed to text him to set it up.”

“Don’t wait too long. A man like that won’t be around forever.”

No one’s talking about forever. I only want Jude for tonight. And maybe tomorrow if it’s good. And the next night if it’s great.

That’s all, though.

After buying another shirt, I leave the shop, my phone buzzing once I’m on the street. Jude’s name flashes across the screen, and my pulse spikes.

Jude:It’s tomorrow. And I’ve presumed a lot already this morning. I presumed last night too, when I got in bed.

I go up in flames as I reply.

TJ:I could help you with that. All that presuming.

Jude:Good. I hoped as much. Let’s meet later. I have a bunch of boring things to do this afternoon but plenty of time for non-boring things tonight. How’s seven?

TJ:That’s the perfect time for presuming. And I promise it won’t be boring.

Jude:I’ll hold you to that, Tool Johnson.

TJ:How long were you waiting to whip that one out?

---