Page 100 of Guys Can't Write Romance
“I’m glad. He’s kinda grown on me, so I would’ve hated to have to kill him.”
Daisy let out a light laugh. “Who’d have thought Chad McKenzie would turn out to be a gentleman?”
“Did you ever think it might be because he likes you?”
Daisy looked at her. “You think so?”
“It’s pretty obvious, girl. The guy drops everything to take you on a rescue mission. That pretty much spells it out.”
An unexpected warmth filled Daisy at hearing this. She turned to look out the window at the passing buildings.
“So, big picture time,” Chloe said. “What are you going to do about Boring Banker turned stalker and New York?”
Daisy groaned. “I’m going to not think about it.”
Chapter twenty-five
When Hell Freezes Over
A collective gasp, along with a few discrete snickers, arose from the members of the writers’ group as Chad and Daisy arrived for that night’s meeting. Together. With Chad even holding the door for her, and Daisy not trying to slam it shut on him.
“Did someone rearrange the planets while I wasn’t looking?” Helen whispered to Bernie as they watched Daisy and Chad cross the room to the table, engaged in animated conversation.
Bernie adjusted his glasses, squinting in disbelief. “I’d sooner expect to see my cat doing calculus.”
“They’re being nice to each other,” Ruth Anderson hissed, clutching Philip’s arm. “Philip, I think this might be a sign of the apocalypse.”
“Either that or one of them has been replaced by a pod person,” Philip replied, only half-joking.
Mags, resplendent as always in a turquoise caftan with matching earrings the size of small chandeliers, observed thepair with the calculating eye of a romance novelist who’d written over thirty happily-ever-afters.
“Well, well, well,” she drawled, loud enough for everyone to hear. “If it isn’t our star writing team, finally putting the ‘co’ in collaboration.”
Daisy’s cheeks flushed pink as she took her usual seat. “We’ve decided to call a truce until after the contest,” she explained, reflexively arranging her colored markers in rainbow order.
Chad sprawled into the chair beside her, his notebook showing coffee ring stains, and what looked like hot sauce on one edge.
“Turns out Fields here knows her stuff,” he admitted with a casual shrug that fooled absolutely no one. “Who knew romance could be so structured?”
“And who knew horror writers had a heart?” Daisy countered, the compliment causing Chad to glance at her with a flicker of fondness in his eyes.
“You know,” Liv chimed in, “I was just thinking about how it was only a few weeks ago that Chad insisted Daisy’s romance novel needed a werewolf, and Daisy suggested his horror story would be better if the monster went to therapy.”
“Those were valid critiques,” Chad mumbled, not looking up.
“And now look at them,” Bernie added, his gentle voice carrying a hint of amusement. “Sitting there like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths.”
“Now that you mention it,” Helen chimed in, adjusting her reading glasses, “they’ve been stealing glances at each other like teenagers in study hall.”
“I have not!” Daisy protested, her cheeks flushing pink.
“The lady doth protest too much,” Bernie quipped, earning chuckles from around the table.
Phil cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should review the evidence systematically. One: they arrived simultaneously.”
“Pure coincidence,” Chad interrupted, though his ears had turned distinctly red.
“Two,” Phil continued, undeterred, “neither has mentioned monsters or color-coding yet.”
