Page 56 of About That One Night
Lily’s eyes light up as she notices him. She leans in close to me, her voice barely above a whisper. “Isn’t he gorgeous? I think you’re going to love him.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Great, they’re setting me up.
Lily practically bounces on her toes as she leads the new guy over. “Zoe, I want you to meet Alec. Alec, this is my sister, Zoe.”
Alec extends his hand, a warm smile playing on his lips. “It’s great to finally meet you, Zoe. Lily’s told me a lot about you.”
I shake his hand, feeling a mix of curiosity and apprehension. “All good things, I hope,” I reply, trying to match his easy demeanor.
As we exchange pleasantries, I can’t help but feel Lily’s eager gaze on us, clearly hoping for sparks to fly. While Alec is undeniably attractive, my mind can’t help but wander to the other side of the room where Max stands. Which is clearly a big mistake. I shouldn’t care about him at all.
“I think you two would really hit it off,” Lily whispers, all giddy.
I smile politely, my mind still partially on Max though. But tonight, it’s about trying new things and maybe, just maybe, letting go of the past—and the impossible, aka Max. Who knows? Maybe this new guy will be the distraction I need to finally stop thinking about the man who’s been occupying my thoughts far too often lately.
Okay, he’s not bad looking. I could dig this for a date or two—if he has good conversational skills, maybe we can think a little longer term.
“So, Lily tells me you’re a lawyer,” Alec starts, leaning against the table in a relaxed pose.
“Yeah, that’s right,” I say, trying to keep my tone light. “Corporate law mostly. What about you?”
“I’m in advertising,” he says, his eyes twinkling. “Mostly creative stuff—coming up with catchy slogans, designing campaigns. It’s a lot of fun.”
“That sounds interesting,” I say genuinely. “I’ve always admired people who can come up with creative ideas on the spot. I’m more of a by-the-book kind of person.”
“Well, I think we’d make a great team then,” he jokes, his smile widening. “You keep things grounded, and I’ll keep them exciting.”
I laugh, not sure what to make out of this conversation. Is it me or is he coming on a little too strong? Maybe this is blind date jitters? At least he knew he’d be meeting me. I’m blindsided by this whole thing.
“So, what do you do for fun when you’re not buried in legal briefs?” Alec asks, his tone casual but interested.
“I enjoy reading, hiking, and sometimes painting,” I lie because I don’t want to tell him I don’t have much time off, though when I do, I like to travel places, even if it’s just taking the train in the morning and ending up in some New England small town in the afternoon where I can explore and do something new and different.
He looks at me expectantly, obviously waiting for more, so I say, “Though I haven’t had much time for any of those lately.”
“Painting? That’s cool. What do you like to paint?”
I open my eyes wide. Really, he wants to knowwhat I paint? My nails, if I have time. Damn it, he was supposed to move on. Glancing at Lily, I recall the last painting she created and say, “Mostly landscapes. It’s a nice escape from the structured world of law.”
“Maybe you can show me some of your work sometime,” Alec suggests. “Or we can go for a hike.”
Before I can respond, I feel a presence behind me. Turning, I see Max, looking as handsome as ever, but with an air of arrogance that makes my blood boil.
“Hey, Zoe. Can I talk to you for a second?” Max says, barely glancing at Alec. “It’s about a legal issue.”
I honestly don’t want to go with him—though it’d be great to leave the awkward conversation with Alec. Decisions, decisions.
“It’s really important,” Max presses, sounding a little bossy.
I glare at him, really not caring for his tone.
“You can go,” Alec offers. “We can continue our conversation when you’re done, exchange numbers and maybe plan a real date.” He winks at me and adds, “You can paint me during our first hike.”
Paint him during the date while hiking? That’s . . . weird. “Uh, sure. Sorry, I’ll be back . . .” Never. I’m heading home right after I figure out what Max wants. If it’s legal help as he just stated, I’ll just give him the number to another one of my colleagues.
Max finally looks at Alec, offering a tight smile. “Sorry to interrupt, Alan.”
“It’s Alec,” he corrects, clearly annoyed. “No problem, just make sure you don’t monopolize her for long.”
