Page 13 of Until Kendal

“If you could escape the world in a game and never want to come out, what would that game be?” Joel asked.

“You’re asking my favorite video game?”

“Sure.”

“I liked the Sims when I had the chance to play. Setting up a house and living a life as a person who had a better shot at things was fun for me.”

“Fair enough. To be honest, the company I’m setting up has a lot to do with gaming.”

I snapped my fingers. “That explains the question, but to be truthful, I’m not a huge gamer.”

He placed his hand on my lower back, and bubbles of anticipation grew. He said, “And we’re paying top dollar for market research into women as we don’t have much to offer to your demographic yet.”

Maybe it was the moon in the sky combined with Joel’s nearness, but he made me want more. I was the anti-Valentine queen who always had hard words about love. I couldn’t tell him that, so I stayed with the conversation and said, “Happy to be your guinea pig.”

We stopped on the sidewalk, and he turned toward me. “You’re not that. You’re my date. And it’s time to get you back to your mom.”

I rocked. I’d thought we were going to discover more. I swallowed. “I told her not to wait up for me.”

We walked to the front door of the hotel. I walked, looking up at the stars, bright and clear behind his profile.

“Tomorrow, I want us to do something together,” he said.

Maybe he didn’t want to kiss me. My gut twisted. “I should go to work to talk to my boss. I won’t be long.”

“I can pick you up in an hour.”

I glanced up at him, and my lips tingled for a kiss. He didn’t move, and I wondered if I should initiate it.

Desire raced through me, but I didn’t move. A moment later, I blinked and said, “Okay. Goodnight.”

“Good night. See you tomorrow.” He kissed my forehead.

I wasn’t sure why he wasn’t coming in with me. My stomach clenched as I proceeded to my room, alone.

ChapterEight

Kendal

Listening to the birds chirping, I walked to the back of the salon to go in the employee entrance. I hadn’t taken the car because the salon was close enough for me to walk. My mom was probably fine at the hotel by herself for an hour. Mornings were usually safe for us, because if my father had returned to his ways, then he would still be passed out after drinking too much cheap vodka, and he never moved till the afternoon.

Last night had been my first restaurant date. And it was better than a movie. I dreamed of seeing him again. I’d even been tempted to knock on his closed door. I hadn’t, though.

Outside the salon, I saw Ellie’s car. I needed to not think about Joel here, or else Ellie, Kimberly, and everyone I worked with would know. They had a sense of knowing when customers fell in love. And I wasn’t in love and didn’t need to think about it.

The bell above the door jingled as I stepped into the salon. The lights weren’t on yet, except in Ellie’s office. I popped my head in, and she stood from her desk, throwing open her arms. “You’re here.”

I hugged her, then she pulled back to search my face, looking for signs of a bruise, I guessed. Somehow, I’d survived a crash without a scratch, but she knew about my father too. She’d talked about her mother, who’d tried to sell her as a sex slave, and we’d shared our horror stories. She was one of the nicest people in the world.

“I wanted to stop by and thank you for giving me some time,” I said as we took our seat.

She motioned with her hand that she was fine. “Your chair is yours when you’re ready. Is everything okay?”

My heart thundered. I had no clue about my life right now and what I should do. I couldn't explain about staying at a hotel either. She would assume I’d at least kissed Joel. My face heated as I stared at the sweet woman who had been one of the first of my acquaintances to go out and find love despite opposition. I lowered my head like she might see through me, burning up for a man who hadn't touched me. “Yeah. Can I ask you a question?”

She jumped out of her chair and took the seat beside me as she folded her hand. “Sure. What’s going on?”

I shivered. I never asked for advice, but whenever one of the salon customers or staff fell in love, Ellie was right there with good advice. I had no one else to talk to other than my friends here, so I asked, “When you met Jax, did you just know that you were going to fall in love?”

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