Page 88 of Say Yes to the Hot Mess

“Yes. Right. Deep breaths.” I force myself to breathe deeply as I go to the front door.

This will be fine. Everything will be fine.

I open the door and smile. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Dex says, and it’s then that I know everything is going to be okay. Because when he smiles back at me, the nerves flying around inside me all calm down, and I’m left with a simple, glowing warmth.

“You look great,” he says, gesturing to me.

“She looksbetterthan great,” Scarlett says, popping around me. I turn just in time to see her narrow her eyes at Dex. “She looks like a goddess, Dexter Anthony.”

Dex’s face breaks into a wide smile. “Scarlett,” he says, stepping forward, and I realize with a start that this is the first time they’re seeing each other in…well, years, if I’m remembering Scarlett’s story correctly.

Scarlett slips past me and gives Dex a big hug, one arm securing Archer at her hip and the other going around Dex’s waist. He pats her on the back a few times before releasing her.

“How have you been?” he says, still smiling.

“I’ve been good,” she says with a shrug. “Just…you know. Living life.” She bites her lip, casting her eyes down at Archer, and I can tell it’s so that she won’t have to look at Dex directly when she speaks again. “Look, I’ll let you guys go, but—”

“I’m not going to say anything to him,” Dex cuts her off quietly, and her whole frame relaxes with relief. “I won’t lie to him if he asks me anything, but I don’t see why he would ever ask.”

“Thank you,” she says, the words coming out in a gust. She looks back up at him, patting him awkwardly on the chest a few times before turning back to me. “Okay,” she says, her cheerful smile and voice back in place. “Get out of here, you crazy kids. Go have fun.”

Dex’s gaze meets mine, and there’s a mischievous gleam in his eye when he says, “We will.”

I shiver, not at all unpleasantly.

I give Archer a peck on the top of the head before slipping out the front door, taking a few more deep breaths. I turn to see Scarlett saying something to Dex, who laughs, and then she closes the front door, winking at me. It feels like she’s my mom and I’ve just been picked up by my prom date. I half expect her to tell me to be back before curfew.

When Dex catches up to me, he holds out his hand, and I take it.

“So you’re going to cook for me?” I say.

He looks over at me with a grin. “I am.”

I really hope it’s not chicken cordon bleu—not that it doesn’t sound good, but I don’t want to have to think about Valencia.

“Nothing with chicken,” Dex says, apparently reading my thoughts, “lest you feel like I’m trying to impress you with the same things that impressed Val.”

I scowl, and he laughs.

“There’s that look again,” he says, pointing at my face. He turns so that he’s walking backward in front of me, his eyes sparkling. “Almost like you don’t like talking about my ex-girlfriend.”

“Guilty,” I admit. “Is that what you want to hear? That there’s a little smidgeon of jealousy there?”

“I don’t hate it,” he says, his lips pulling into a smirk.

I laugh, swatting him with my good hand. I’m relieved, more relieved than I could possibly articulate, that things aren’t at all awkward between us.

We continue our way to Dex’s front door, which he holds open for me.

“Now,” he says, looking over his shoulder at me as he heads to the kitchen. “Are you really a vegetarian?”

“No,” I say, following him. Then, pausing, I frown. “I told you, don’t you remember? I eat chicken. Not much else in the meat department, though.”

“Well,” he says, dragging the word out slowly and turning to face me. “That rings a bell. I just don’t remember atonabout that conversation. I was—” He breaks off, his gaze dropping to my lips for a brief second. “Distracted,” he finishes, bringing his eyes back to mine. “I was distracted.”

“Tsk, tsk.” I lean back against his kitchen counter, grinning at him. “That’s not a great way to impress your date—telling her you weren’t paying attention to what she was saying.”

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