Page 8 of The Valentine's Bet

“Absolutely.” My voice is bright. “I love it.”

She smiles. “Me, too. I remember when I started here a few years ago. It was such a nice change to have my own space. Cubicles are okay, but this is way better.”

“Most definitely,” I agree, setting my bag down on the desk. I remove my coat and hang it on the back of the chair, smoothing out my olive-colored blouse and black slacks. “So, what do we do next?”

Nellie laughs, her green eyes twinkling in the natural light. “Well, I’m going to show you our software, introduce you to the team you’ll oversee, and then hopefully, we can get lunch in a few hours. Zach and I have been waiting for some help for a while, so it’s only right we take you out to lunch.”

I beam. “That would be amazing.”

The morning goes flawlessly—and when I say that, I mean literallyeverythingwas perfect. The team I’ll oversee seems to be full of bright creatives, and I’ll never get tired of my office view. I snap a few pictures and send them to Eliza and my mom when I get a few spare moments.

“So, what do you think so far?” Zach looks at me through his dark-rimmed glasses. He’s a solid ten years older than me, but I can already tell he’s young at heart.

“I think this is going to be phenomenal,” I say with a smile, breathing in the city air as we walk along the street. “It’s just what I was needing.”

“You’reexactly what we needed,” Nellie adds. “Ted did a great job when he hired you.”

I’m beaming ear to ear, and I have no idea what to say other than thanking them profusely. We walk another three blocks making small talk and getting to know each other until we arrive at an Italian café nestled in between a boutique clothing shop and an old candy store. As I step inside, the scent of tomatoey garlic fills my nostrils.

“This is one of our favorite places to eat lunch,” Nellie comments as a waiter leads us to a back booth. “It’s the best Italian I’ve ever had—and that’s saying something.”

“She goes to Italy twice a year,” Zach clarifies as he slides in across from the two of us. “She actually invited me and my girlfriend to accompany her this year, but we’re saving up to buy a nice place. No vacations for us.”

“Oh wow, that’s exciting,” I say, ignoring that all too familiar pang of jealousy creeping into my chest as I pick up the menu. “Where do you want to live?”

“Upper East Side or maybe Chelsea,” he answers, reaching for the water the waiter just placed in front of him. “I don’t know. I recently got a raise, so I’m hoping that’ll expand our options.”

I nod. “It’s definitely expensive here.”

“Oh yeah,” Nellie mutters, leaning back in the booth. “But it’s worth it to live in a place like this. My fiancé and I are planning tomove to the suburbs at some point. It’s just hard with the commute.”

“It’s a dilemma.” Zach chuckles as he picks up a menu. “And what about you, Amy? Do you have a significant other?” He meets my gaze over the top of the menu.

“No, I don’t. I, um, was hoping I’d meet somebody here.”

“Ah. Any luck yet?”

“I actually went to a speed-dating event this weekend.”

“Oh, fun! How was it?” Nellie asks.

“It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’tgreat. There were some people there who kinda killed the mood.” My mind flashes back to Parker, and I frown.

“Oh yeah, that’s probably because it was right after Christmas,” Nellie says, pushing some of her blonde hair out of her face. “I think people get a little bitter or angry that they’re alone around the holidays. But if it makes you feel any better, I used to go to those eventsallthe time when I first moved here. I met a lot of really cool people.”

My heart jumps with hope. “You did? Well that’s encouraging. I’m hoping I might make some new friends at least.”

“I actually met my girlfriend at a singles event,” Zach adds, a smile on his face. “We’ve been together for two years now.”

“Are you still planning to propose on New Year’s Eve?” Nellie asks him.

“Yep. That’s the plan.”

“Oh, my goodness,” I say, setting my menu down. “Congratulations! That’s so exciting.”

“Well, it’s about time, considering I turn forty next year.” He chuckles, and Nellie rolls her eyes. “For the longest time I thought I was going to end up alone. I was so caught up in my career. But before I knew it, everyone around me started having families of their own, so I decided to finally put myself out there. And I’m glad I did.”

“I feel that,” I say, my stomach flipping. “I’ve also been heavily focused on my career and haven’t made much time for dating. And while I don’t regret it, I’m definitely feeling ready to find my person. Especially since my best friend got married earlier this year. She has thesweetestlove story. And I can’t help but want to experience that too, you know? I’ve sorta turned into a bit of a hopeless romantic,” I admit with a shrug.

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