Page 7 of The Kiss Countdown

From the corner of my eye, I see a familiar figure. When I turn my head, I realize it’s Pops. He catches my eye and smiles with a wink, and I recoil. Good Lord, no.

I’m ready to abandon all hope of trying to come up with a believable emergency that will allow for a quick escape when the bell above the door jingles.

I understand now why people put so much stock in wishing on stars. It’s for moments like these, when the universe answers pleas with a gift of Providence, even for the misguided who wish on planets.

As elation surges through me, I smirk at Derrick before calling out, “Vincent!”

Chapter Three

When I call his name, Vincent’s head jerks toward me. He does a double take when I wave, and it stops him in his tracks.

After I walked away from him minutes ago, he probably thinks I’m trying to lure him into some sort of trap. Which, okay, he would be right, but I have no other recourse. I flash my teeth at him, trying to channel that same coaxing energy one might use to get a scared puppy to crawl out from under the couch. Vincent’s eyebrows snap together, and he looks even more suspicious.

Welp, that tracks. It’s not like I have experience coaxing puppies since I’m allergic to them.

I drop the smile and wave him over again. After a few seconds of hesitation, he walks in our direction.

“I see your phone call wrapped up,” I say as he stops at the periphery of our group. Latching on to his forearm, I tug until he’s standing by me. “Let me introduce you to some friends of mine. Meet Derrick and Nora.” I turn to the couple. “This is Vincent. My boyfriend.”

The weight of Vincent’s stare settles over me like a boulder. I can practically hear him shout,What are you talking about, woman?

Derrick and Nora regard Vincent silently, as if trying tosee if we’re really together or if I lassoed the first man to walk through the door and he’s about to take off running.

I step right into Vincent’s bubble, almost pushing up against him, in case he tries.

Standing this close, my head hits right below his shoulder, and with each inhale, I get a whiff of his clean aftershave mixed with the cold rain that must have picked up again. It filters through the heavy scent of coffee in the air, and I recognize the subtle undertones of spices and sage. While I need his help, I don’twantto like anything about this man, even the way he smells. I’m tempted to put a good two feet between us, but Derrick is watching us intently. I put my hand over my mouth to cover a fake cough, and press my elbow into Vincent’s side as I bring the arm down.

Vincent lets out a quiet chuckle, and the vibrations travel from his stomach and up my arm. “It’s nice to meet you two,” he finally says.

I won’t lie. I enjoy how Derrick’s jaw tightens as he eyes the man beside me. After all, Derrick did say I would grow old alone if I didn’t learn to put my partner before my mom. Now he can take his words and eat them.

“How long have you and Mimi been dating?” Derrick asks Vincent.

I almost jump as an arm snakes around my back, and Vincent’s large hand lands on my waist. He lets out a contented sigh. “You know, it’s been one of those relationships where it somehow feels like the blink of an eye and forever simultaneously. Isn’t that right, Mimi?”

The way my nickname rolls from his lips leaves me unsettled. The only people I allow to call me that are my parents and Gina. Even Derrick’s use of the name was rare, unless he was showing me off in front of colleagues.

Still, I manage a “Right you are,” making it as cheerful as I can.

Vincent squeezes me tightly to him. “Yeah, she came barreling right into my life and caught me off guard.”

I pat his chest—his hard, muscled chest—as I look up at him and shoot daggers from behind my smile.

I’ve thought about that morning when my first client stood me up, running over each detail in my mind. When I get to the accident with Vincent, I’ve realized that hemusthave been too close to me. I know I pivoted on the balls of my feet, so the only way I could have knocked into him was if he was already there, invading my personal space. Really, we’re both to blame.

“So is it pretty serious between you two, then?” Derrick says.

I shrug and borrow Nora’s wise words. “When you know, you know. Thank the stars and all that.”

Derrick transforms from confident lawyer to sullen teenager, and I know the taste of satisfaction. I may not have a job or a clue about how to turn the tides of my business, but at least I’ve managed to keep my dignity.

“Listen,” I say. “It was good catching up with you, but we’ll let you two get on with your day.”

Derrick ignores my attempt at a polite farewell and keeps talking to Vincent. “What is it you do?”

I’ll ignore him too. I step away from Vincent, my body instantly growing cooler, and pick up the coffee and scones from the table. “Once again, it was nice meeting you, Nora.”

“I work with NASA,” Vincent announces. “I’m an astronaut.”

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