Page 89 of Love Like This

The Bertrand offices weren’t far away. In fact, a quick search onher phone showed they were walkable. Couldn’t hurt to see if Spencer wasavailable. The workday had to be coming to a close, given that it wasapproaching dusk in Paris. Surely, designers came up for air at some point.After quickly orienting herself with a map on her phone, she decided to set offfor the Bertrand building. You know, just in case.

She hadn’t traveled more than two blocks when her phone buzzedwith an incoming text from Autumn.

Um, Had? Ithink we have a problem.

Moments later a photo arrived. She squinted, trying to understandwhat she was seeing. Yep, that was a photo of Spencer waiting in line forcoffee at Pajamas.

What? No.

Hadley stared.

Mayday!

What in the world was going on?

She scrutinized the photo to be sure it was Spencer. It was. Rightthere in Autumn’s coffee line, which meant she wasn’t in Paris at all. She wasinVenice?Hadley blinked as her world ran off the rails. A minute later, her phone rang.Autumn.

“What’s going on?” Hadley asked. “I don’t understand.”

“Let me pass the phone to someone who might be able to explain.”

“Hadley.”

She closed her eyes when she heard the velvety voice she’d knowanywhere. “Spencer, what are you doing in Venice?” she asked, mystified.

“The question is what areyoudoing in Paris?”

“I’m here for you,” she said quietly. “I should have been here allalong.”

Spencer laughed. “Well, that’s perfect because I’m here for you,where I never should have left.”

Hadley stared up at the darkening Paris sky. “We’re ridiculous.”

“I’m ridiculously in love with you, is what I am.”

Hadley turned it around. “You are? No. You don’t have to say that.We can pick up where we left off. Open minds, remember?”

“I don’t have an open mind anymore. Mine’s decided. I love you,and I flew all this way to tell you so.”

Hadley couldn’t keep up. With the utterance of the three words,her mind regressed to a jumble of information while her insides turned towonderful mush. She’d dreamt of the right person saying those words to her andit had just happened. While she stood on the streets of Paris no less! Okay,she was alone, but this was still Paris, darn it!

“Victor drove me to your apartment, which is so close to theEiffel Tower that I couldn’t believe it, and then I went to find you atBertrand, but you’re apparently drinking coffee with Autumn instead, and I loveyou, too!” It all came out in a joyful, euphoric run-on sentence that she hopedmade at least a little bit of sense to Spencer, who she swore she could hearsmile through the phone.

A pause. “Sounds like we’re a couple of kids in love,” Spencersaid, and it felt like Hadley’s heart took flight. “We should really be in thesame city for this moment. We have to plan better.”

“I promise to try if you do,” Hadley said, laughing. “What now?”

“I parted ways with Bertrand. I don’t work for them anymore.”

“Oh, no.”

“No, it’s good. I’m moving back to LA. In fact, I already have.The brand was taking off before I left, and I want to see what I can do with iton my own. Maybe you can help me with that. You offer great advice.”

“You’re going to kill it!” Hadley ran a hand through her hair inhappy disbelief. “This is the most amazing news I’ve ever heard.”

“She’s back for good!” Autumn yelled in the background. “Come homealready! I have a mocha with your name on it.”

Hadley grinned. “I’ll find a flight.”

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