Page 12 of Second Act
“But you haven’t let anyone stick around, or I would have known. Maybe you’re still hung up on Hugh.”
She would have denied it if the memory of Hugh standing in her office doorway hadn’t risen up in her mind. She’d fought it down at the time, but for a moment she’d wanted to press herself up against him from knee to shoulder, inhale his scent of sandalwood and clean, intense masculinity, and feel his arms come around her to hold her as though she were the most incredible person he’d ever met.
“It’s sweet of you to worry about me, but I’m doing fine,” she said. Aidan’s concern made her heart glow with a soft warmth. He’d definitely matured.
“I think you’ll really like Pete.” Aidan’s stomach rumbled loudly, and he grinned as he flattened his palm over it. “Did you eat dinner yet? I thought I’d get some Chinese takeout.”
“I’ll treat if you go pick it up.” She had no idea how much money Aidan had left after his trip to Machu Picchu, if any.
When Aidan tramped off into the winter night to retrieve their dinner, Jessica stretched out on the sofa, felled by a combination of exhaustion and beer on an empty stomach. As she settled, her cell phone dug into her hip, so she fished it out of her pocket.
Two text messages showed up as unread. She swiped open Pete’s, which read:Mexican, Brazilian, or Japanese?She liked his simple directness and being given a choice.
Then she swiped on Hugh’s.
I should have done better.
She slapped her phone down on the sofa cushion with a growl of exasperation. Hugh had managed to phrase his message so it was almost, but not quite, an apology.
