Page 66 of Someday You Learn

Hazel nods. “Yes, Astrid makes a fine latte. But you really need to visit Keely’s Caffeine Kick. That woman is the master of iced coffee.”

Willow rolls her eyes, sighing. “Enough with the coffee! Get back to Parker, Cashlynn.”

“So, I started with the appliance thing you suggested, Willow. I unplugged the coffee machine, which sent him into a total tailspin.”

Hazel snorts. “I saw him at the animal hospital that morning, and he mentioned it. I could tell his underwear was wedged between his butt cheeks after that stunt.”

I laugh. “It definitely threw him off. Besides that, I’ve been testing the waters—little touches here and there, nothing too obvious. But the night my dad came over for dinner…” I hesitate, glancing between them before admitting, “I kissed him.”

Both women’s jaws drop. Willow recovers first. “And how did he react? Did he kiss you back?”

I clench my thighs together at the memory. “Oh yeah. But then he jumped away like I’d burned him.”

Willow scrunches her nose. “What did you do?”

“I decided to give him space and just went to my room for the night.”

Hazel nods approvingly. “Nice. Leave him to stew.”

“That’s what I was thinking. But the next day, he acted like nothing had happened. For days, it felt like he was actively trying to avoid me—until I took him to see the gallery space.”

Willow perks up, reaching for her coffee. “But that day, he gave you that little pep talk when you were doubting yourself. It was definitely something a real fiancé would’ve have said.”

“I thought so too, but he slipped back into a routine of avoiding me…until the other night.”

“What happened then?” Hazel asks, leaning in.

“Well, my father announced he’s retiring in three months, so now Parker and Seth are battling it out to see who will take over the practice. Parker has been running himself ragged trying to prove himself. He was working late the other night, so I had dinner waiting for him when he got home, and we sat on the couch together and talked. It felt so…normal. And I swear, he looked at me like he was glad I was there. That is, until he went to turn on the TV I forgot I’d unplugged earlier…”

Hazel and Willow both burst out laughing. “Oh my God,” Willow manages. “What did he do?”

I chuckle at the memory. “He snapped, saying he doesn’t understand what kind of human would do such a thing, and told me I had to stop. So, I challenged him to rock, paper, scissors for it—and I won. Now I get to keep pushing his buttons, one power cord at a time.”

Willow tilts her head. “Rock, paper, scissors? That’s one way to handle a disagreement, I guess.”

“It’s how he got me to hold his hand on the plane when we met.”

She covers her chest with her hand. “Oh my God. That’s adorable.”

Hazel chuckles. “Sounds like something the old Parker would’ve done.”

“The old Parker?”

Herexpression dims slightly. “The one before Sasha put his heart in a blender.”

Nodding in understanding, I lower my gaze to the table. “I just don’t know if he’s ready to open himself up to me, you guys. I see these glimmers of the man I met on the plane—sweet, funny, a little cocky—but then the closed-off grump comes out, and I feel like I’m getting emotional whiplash trying to figure out how to handle him.”

Hazel and Willow share a look before Hazel speaks up. “Besides the kiss and the grazes, have there been any other physical moments?”

I bite my lip. “Not really.”

Hazel shrugs like the solution is obvious. “Then you need to step it up.”

“I don’t know…”

Willow nods. “No, I think she’s right. Sometimes men just need to get their pent-up frustrations out to relax enough to talk about their feelings. When Dallas is in a mood, I always initiate sex, and afterward, he spills his guts. It’s not exactly moral, but it works every time.”

I blink, unsure whether to laugh or take notes.

---