Page 20 of One Night Valentine

Again, I roll my eyes. This from the man that has thanked me four times now for attending his press conference today. “So you doing okay after today? I think for the most part, people were supportive.”

“It was good. I think I was more worried about telling my team than anything. I’m going to miss them, but yeah, I feel good about it.”

“Hold on, I’m going to put you on speaker phone.” I put the phone on speaker and lay it on the bed. I grab my pajamas and start undressing. “So can I ask you a question?”

His voice gets louder. “Your voice is muffled. What are you doing?”

I put my shirt on and then pick up the phone. “Sorry, I was putting my pajama shirt on.”

He groans into the phone. “Fuck, don’t tell me that, honey.”

I giggle. “Don’t tell you that I’m changing into my pajamas?”

His voice is husky. “I shouldn’t ask. Are you dressed?”

I pull my sleep shorts up my legs. “I am now.”

“Okay, so I’ll never sleep tonight with that image in my head.”

I lie down in the bed and can’t help but make a joke. “So what are you wearing?”

He grunts into the phone, and I start to laugh. “No seriously, can I ask you a question?”

I hear rustling, and I wonder if he’s lying in his bed too. “Yeah, you can ask me anything.”

I clench my eyes shut and then open them. “You said there’s a hundred reasons why this is a bad idea. What did you mean by that?”

He laughs darkly. “You do realize I don’t have a job right now, right?”

I’m shocked into silence. Is that really his reason? Because if it is, it’s not a very good one. “If you don’t want to date me for real, then just say it. Don’t make up crazy excuses.”

“Crazy excuses? That sounds perfectly legit to me. I wouldn’t want Lexi to date some guy without a job, so how can I ask you to?”

I roll over on the bed and bang my head silently on the pillow in frustration. “Cruz Payne, you’re being ridiculous, but whatever. You’re right, maybe there are reasons we shouldn’t be together. Let’s just change the subject.”

“Oh no, you started this, let’s finish it. What are your reasons why we shouldn’t date?”

I huff out a breath. “You really want to know?” I don’t wait for him to answer, I just blurt out exactly what I’m thinking. “Well, after my last relationship ended, I learned a thing or two, and one of those was that if I’m going to be with someone—in a relationship—then they have to be all in. So if you are already making excuses why we wouldn’t be a good fit, then yeah, it’s not a good idea. I want someone that wants to be with me so much nothing and no one will stop them.”

I sit up in bed because I know I said too much. “Anyway, seriously, back on topic. The deal was one night—the Valentine’s wedding—that’s it.”

He seems more subdued now. “I’m going to the rehearsal dinner too.”

Honestly, I’m glad he’s coming, but it’s going to be hard too. I’m already finding that the more we’re together, the more I like him. “Okay, I’ll send you the details. Thanks for all your help with this, Cruz. You really are a good man!”

He huffs, and it’s like I can picture him running his hand through his hair. “Okay, well, thanks again for today. It meant a lot that you came.”

“Sure. We’re—friends. That’s what we do, right?”

He stutters. “Yeah, right. I’ll see you. Let me know if you need any help with the arrangements. I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

“See you, Cruz.”

I hang up before I say something I shouldn’t. He’s already stated that we are a bad idea, so I’m not going to pressure him into dating me or anything. Nope, I just need to make it through Valentine’s Day. I can deal with my future after that.

12

CRUZ

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