Page 42 of The Lodge

Makenna snorts. “An understatement! And such a waste. You don’t see a lot of guys who are that hotandthat kind. Not in my experience, anyway.”

Not in my experience, either, but I keep that to myself—if I say anything at all, I risk revealing justhowhot I find him, justhowkind.

“Honey nut latte!” the other barista calls out, sliding my drink across the bar. It’s beautiful, but so, so full—one wrong move and it’ll be everywhere.

Makenna wishes me good luck with my work before heading out, and I ease my way over to my favorite spot by the window.

My phone buzzes violently on the table as soon as I sit down. Chloe’s face lights up the screen, a black-and-white photo from when we grabbed ice cream one day last summer: in it, she’s mid–brain freeze, caught in a moment of joy that lives on every time she calls.

“Tell meeverything,” Chloe greets me. “Everything!”

“You waited long enough to call,” I tease. “Did someone steal your phone this morning?” It’s nearly four in the afternoon, the longest she’s ever taken to touch base.

“Lots of work drama today.” Her tone drips with resentment. “But I didn’t want to call too early andinterruptanything, if you know what I mean.”

“I know exactly what you mean, and I’m sorry to inform you that there was nothing to interrupt.”

“Nooooo!” she says. “The date wasn’t good?”

“Oh, it was good.”

I can still feel hands on me, his fingertips, his kiss like fire—

“But it didn’t go anywhere?” she asks.

“Not all of us spend the night on a first date, Chlo.”

So many times throughout our friendship, I’ve wished I were the sort of person who didn’t take everything so seriously—the sort of person who could let go and have fun, who doesn’t need every hookup to mean something. Chloe has perfected the art of having fun and then moving on before anyone has a chance to get hurt.

I’m not sure I’m capable of that kind of no-strings fun.

“But you wanted to?”

She would kick me in the shin if she could see the smile creeping onto my face right now.

“The only thing that kept me from inviting him in was that I’d left my project all over the kitchen island, all the True North books and everything,” I admit. “At best, I’d look like a boy band stalker.”

Chloe howls. “If he only knew! You are the least starstruck human I’ve ever met in my life.”

“They’re just people,” I say. “Sometimes they’reawfulpeople.”

“But they’re loaded most of the time, and they all have ten beach houses and cars that cost more than I make in three years. And they’regorgeousand can take you to gorgeous places. I bet they have the best stories.”

I snort. “Yeah, you say that now, but ninety percent of what they talk about is themselves.”

“You’re just saying that because you’ve spent too much time listening to Sebastian for your book—that’s different! Your job is literally to listen to his life story and write it down.”

She does have a point.

“I’d totally let Sebastian Green take me to one of his beach houses,”Chloe says, and I laugh. “So tell me about last night? Where did Tyler take you on your date?”

“Dinner, then ice-skating under the stars—it honestly felt like something you’d see in a movie.”

Chloe squeals on the other end. “Alix! Stop it. That sounds like the most romantic date ever!”

I can’t help it, I smile. “It really was.”

“And?” she prompts, like she can sense my smile even over the phone.

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