Page 74 of Just a Plot Twist
My heart ticks up. She’s already mentioning the company?
She seems open, so I plow ahead. “My grandparents live in Boulder. They own an energy solutions company there.”
“Oh?” She holds out a hand. “Wait. An energy company? What are their names?”
“Patricia and Vernon Hanson.”
“I thought so,” Lora says. “They’re friends of my parents.”
“Really?” Surprise filters through me.
Lora nods. “Several of my parents’ friends have been supportive of my new business.”
“That’s great.” I pull a tube of lip gloss out of my dress pocket and begin to apply. “Tell me about the business. What do you sell?”
“Financial services, boutique style. We’re almost ready to launch, but I have about a million odds and ends to finish up first.” She snorts, drying her hands on a paper towel. “I wanted to stop working for someone else and do my own thing.”
“That’s exciting. Starting your own thing at a young age is impressive.”
“Well, I can’t take all the credit. I’ve got a lot of people helping me out.”
“That’s good.”
Especially help from family, isn’t that right, Lora?
“So what do you do?” she asks, and I start to tell her but then there’s a knock on the door.
“Open up, Claire.”
Chapter 24
Benson
“Uh. No.” Claire calls through the door.
I get it. She still thinks I’m going to throw her in the pool.
I want to. Who knows what it is with guys throwing people in pools, but it is what it is. I’m a guy and I’m here to say that it lives up to the hype.
It was embarrassing when I so gracefully sauntered into the water—right in like I meant it. And it wasn’t just because I inadvertently stepped into a swimming pool full bore, but because of the reason.
It was because I couldn’t stop staring at Claire. In her soft green sundress that matches her eyes, I couldn’t get enough. My eyes were craving every last bit of her. And when she turned back to look at me, too, I lost all awareness of anything else.
Unfortunately for me, I’m still wet from head to toe, but that can’t matter. I got a call from Danica, so Claire and I have to leave now, and I can’t run home and change my clothes first.
“If I promise to not throw you in the pool, will you open the door?”
“Hmmm. You have to convince me. How do I know this isn’t a ruse?” Her
voice is teasing me. I drop my forehead against the door. I want to keep playing games with her. I want this back and forth between us.
“It’s not a ruse because Danica called. We need to leave now to go pick up the kids.”
There’s a pause and then a click as she unlocks the door. She peers around it to study my face and must be satisfied that I’m trustworthy because she steps out, allowing the bathroom door to close behind her.
I slide my hand down her arm and interlace her fingers with mine. “Sorry about this, but we have to go.”
Her brows knit together. “Is everything okay?”
