Page 17 of Romance Reset
“When are you going out again?” his brother asked.
Someone on stage began a rapid drum beat. Lincoln focused his attention on the concert venue and thanked God for the band assembling on stage and razzing the crowd to get to their feet. Guitar riffs filled the air and blasted the crowd, and Lincoln and Carter stood with the rest of the audience as the lead singer approached the mic.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with his brother, Lincoln said, “We’re not.”
Chapter 7
That same evening, Amelia propped her feet up on the coffee table in her enclosed sunroom, her phone on speaker beside her on the cushion. “Wait, so you haven’t been able to reach him?” she asked Marsali.
“He is a busy man, Amelia. No worries. I wasn’t able to reach you all day either.”
Right. Okay. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I had a tough day on set with a bunch of last-minute changes.”
“Exactly. Remember that he’s in real estate. I’m sure he probably had showings or open houses today. There’s no need to panic. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“You tell me. Did something happen?”
Confession time, Amelia mused. “Well… actually, yeah. I mean, sort of.”
“Sort of?” Marsali repeated. “That sounds a bit ominous.Didsomething happen between you or not?”
“Marsali, Lincoln and I have actually dated before. In high school.”
“Oh! Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. I thought maybe there had been an issue at the restaurant or something. So you dated in high school? For how long?”
“Almost three years. Lincoln, um, proposed to me and—”
“Oh.You meanhewas the one you referenced when you said you almost married but were too young?” Marsali asked.
“Yes.”
“Okay. Well, I have to say this is a first for me. I’ve never had this happen. Okay, so you have a history, but that was a long time ago. Tell me more about last night. Did you exchange any angry words? Did you talk about the past? Gain any closure?”
Amelia closed her eyes and relived the evening with Lincoln. The sight and scent of him, the way he smiled, the lightly callused look of his hands, which made her think he still did quite a bit of labor himself when he could. “He seemed okay, at least at first. We did talk about the past. I apologized for not handling it more like an adult. He said it worked out as it was meant to because he wouldn’t have his kids. It went well, I thought.”
“But?”
“But,” Amelia repeated, “you haven’t been able to get in touch with him for a follow-up, and when he walked me to my car and I mentioned how much I’d enjoyed the evening and made it clear I’d like to see him again, he didn’t ask for a repeat.”
“I see. Did you hug? Kiss?”
“He kissed my cheek.”
“Did you feel chemistry with him?”
A flush of heat rose in her cheeks. “Yes.” When she closed her eyes, she could still feel his lips on her skin, the sweet, fiery trail left in their wake, and the way his cologne had filled her head and teased her senses.
“And you’d be interested in seeing him again?”
“Only if he’s willing.”
“Of course. Obviously there was a lot of emotion tied to your early years together,” Marsali stated, “but how awesome is it that the chemistry you shared is still there?”
“It was for me, but I’m not so sure that was the case with Lincoln.”
“Time will tell,” Marsali said. “And as soon as I know more, so will you. What you are going to do now is hang tight while I track him down, and we’ll go from there. No worries, okay?”
