Page 46 of Vodka and Chocolate Drops

She heard her friend open her side and the wall swung like a door.

“You okay?” Amber asked. Nicola looked pale and worried. “What happened with Todd?”

Nicola rolled her eyes and slipped her jeans on under the dress. “Nothing.”

“But you love him, don’t you?”

“Let’s just say I crossed the line and it didn’t work out the way I had envisioned.”

“What do you mean?”

“I kissed him. And I haven’t seen him since.”

For the first time Amber worried about the validity of her plan to woo Scott.

* * *

Amber smoothed her dress,fidgeted with the loose updo she’d copied from Pinterest, and tried to summon her courage to knock on Scott’s door. What if what had happened to Nicola happened to her?

She’d kissed Scott, then not seen him for a few days.

What if she’d crossed the wrong line at the wrong time?

What if leaping from best friends to lovers wasn’t in their cards?

She took a huge breath, willing herself not to turn away. It was time to take action and put herself out there. Nicola’s sitting around moping wasn’t getting her anywhere, was it?

Amber opted for a burst of rapping with her knuckles before ducking into Scott’s front entry.

“Scott? Are you home?” Silly question. Of course he was. He was one of the few people in Blueberry Springs who locked their doors when not home. If it was unlocked, he was home.

“Ever heard of an invention called a doorbell?” The groggy voice came from the living room couch. Scott sat up looking adorably disheveled--if indeed a cranky man the size of a bear could be called adorable.

“Shut up. I’m taking you out for supper.”

He perked up and Amber saw a flash of the old Scott. Curious, fun-loving. Not all serious and telling her what-was-what all the time.

“Where to?”

“It’s a picnic.” She held up the basket. She had homemade potato salad, cucumber sandwiches, brownies from Mandy’s restaurant and apple cider from Brew Babies.

“That’s not taking me out,” he said, falling back against the cushions to finish his nap, arm slung over his eyes.

His lips, visible below his elbow, were pursed and tempting, and she stared at them, wondering what it would be like to kiss them again. Would their kisses always be amazing? Or had it simply been the element of surprise that had made their first kiss awesome?

And why was he shutting her out instead of acting as though the one thing he’d wanted for all these years was finally going to happen--them? Maybe he’d changed his mind or didn’t like the way she kissed.

He hadn’t even noticed the dress, and that she was making an attempt. She stood over him, determined to make him see her.

“A picnic is taking you out. It’s romantic. It’s sweet. You wanted me to show you I’m ready to do this thing. I’m ready.”

“‘Do this thing.’ Youareso romantic.” He pulled down his arm to give her a wry frown and did a double take. “What are you wearing?”

“A dress.”

“Why?”

“I just said…” Her voice wavered. This wasn’t how it was supposed to work. He was supposed to sweep her up into his arms or something. Not be a belligerent, question-asking, I-want-romance dude. It felt as though everything was falling apart and she didn’t know how to fix it.

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