Page 90 of Bad Luck Club

“Come on,” he said reluctantly as he sat up. “Let’s take a shower and bring your mom some breakfast. You can tell her that we got held up last night, and you wanted to introduce me before heading back.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

“Moms love me. Especially when I bring donuts.”

She laughed. “How about a breakfast sandwich instead?”

“Deal.”

They showered together, taking longer than they probably should, but he was already planning to move his late-morning appointment in Asheville, so he figured he might as well enjoy every minute with Blue.

They hadn’t planned on staying overnight, so Lee ran down to the front desk to get complimentary toothbrushes and toothpaste. George had been replaced by another man who’d apparently inherited the same costume and name tag, which brought up questions Lee would rather not dwell on, like whether this guy’s name was really George too and whether they ever dry-cleaned the uniform.

The toothbrushes looked like the kind a dentist would give out at Halloween—all black with cartoon spiderwebs—and the toothpaste was an unappealing red, in keeping with the vampire theme at the front desk. Blue clearly found it more delightful than he did, but at least the flavor was cinnamon and not blood.

They dressed in their clothes from the day before and then checked out, although Blue insisted on taking a photo op with the second George.

“A breakfast sandwich, huh?” Lee asked as he started his car in the parking lot. “Any particular place?”

“There’s a café close to her apartment she likes. Sometimes she walks.”

“Then let’s go there.” He turned to glance at her. “Is there somethingyou’dlike for breakfast? I seem to remember hearing that you hate eggs.”

She beamed at him, like he was some knight in shining armor for remembering a small detail she’d told him—and even ones she hadn’t—and he’d never been so grateful for listening.

“They have great coffee,” she said. “And their croissants are good.”

“Tell me how to get there.”

She gave him directions, and when he pulled into the lot of the café, he saw a Walgreens next door. He pulled some cash out of his wallet and handed it to Blue. “You pick up breakfast. I’m going to run into the pharmacy to grab some deodorant. Do you need anything?”

She shook her head. “I can wait until you drop me off at home. But you go ahead and get what you need.”

He leaned toward her and gave her a soft kiss, surprised by the urge. Not only had he never been a fan of PDA, but he usually wasn’t the sort to spontaneously kiss a woman. It hit him that maybe it was because he’d finally found the right woman, and a huge grin spread across his face.

“What?” she asked as she opened the door.

“Nothing,” he said, unsure of what to tell her. Everything he could say felt so lame, especiallyyou make me happy, so he said nothing and got out of the car.

Midway to the pharmacy, he turned back to look at her, and a buzz of electricity ran across his skin when she looked over her shoulder and smiled.

You’ve got it bad, he could hear his father sneer in his head.

“Yeah,” Lee muttered to himself in a defensive tone. “I do. Deal with it.”

A man who was walking out of the pharmacy gave Lee a funny look, then hurried to his car.

Great, now total strangers thought he’d lost it. But Lee realized that he mostly didn’t care, which was totally unlike him. His father had drilled it into his head that people were always watching. That all it took was one wrong move to ruin a carefully built reputation.

Lee smiled to himself.Look where that got you, Dad.

He entered the store, walking past a group of men hovering at the front, and started down the aisle he thought would take him to the personal hygiene shelves. Then he noticed a collection of huge pink balloons, and it hit him. Today was Valentine’s Day. How the hell had he forgotten?

He thought about the woman picking up breakfast in the café next door. Did Blue like Valentine’s Day? Would she, like the women in his past, judge the depth of his commitment by the gifts he purchased? A knot of anxiety twisted in his gut, but then it eased. Blue wasn’t like that. She wasn’t the sort of woman who would be persuaded by an effective advertising campaign to boost the greeting card and flower industry, which meant he was off the hook. He didn’t have to worry about the petty crap that had sucked up his energy in his past relationships. He could focus on the important things.

Relief washed through him as he got in line to pay for his single purchase, standing behind five people who were checking out with balloons, cards, candy, and flowers. It felt beyond freeing, and it made him appreciate Blue even more.

But as the customer at the register left and the line moved forward, a new feeling struck him, catching him by surprise. No, Blue wouldn’t expect it, but he wanted to do it anyway. Hewantedto give her flowers and candy and a cheesy card. The more he thought about it, the more a feeling of warmth spread through his chest. He pressed the heel of his palm to his sternum and rubbed. Was he having a panic attack?

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