Page 59 of Love Rescheduled

“REMEMBER, YOU CAN’T USE MY name, and no sexy comments to give away who I am,” I warned Josh in his truck before we walked into Tara and Jolene’s condo to do our live podcast.

Josh snorted. “Anyone who knows Tara and Jolene knows it’s you.”

“True, but most of our listeners don’t.” And I knew after tonight we would have a lot more. Josh was sure to post about it on his social media platforms.

“Fine, but my hands will have some fun under the table.” He wagged his brows.

I unbuckled my seat belt and slid across his bench seat. “You. Are. Incorrigible.”

“Guilty,” he groaned, leaning in to kiss me. His lips hovered over mine, begging me to come the rest of the way.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” I whispered before my lips landed on his.

“Very happy,” he mumbled before deepening the kiss, making me wish we could get straight to our date. I couldn’t wait to give him my gift—Aerosmith tickets and a custom-made nameplate for his new desk at Laugh on Tap. Mikey and Josh had signed a tentative agreement yesterday. If all went well, in ninety days Josh would be the proud owner of Laugh on Tap. He had big plans, including some renovations and bringing in more big names, including his own.

Josh’s hands tenderly enveloped my face. “Nat, I love you,” he spoke between breaths.

“I believe you.”

He leaned away. The contentment his mom spoke of was written across his cute face. “I think that right there is the best gift you could give me tonight. Well … almost.”

“What else did you have in mind?” I asked, coyly.

“You’ll see.” His lips brushed across mine.

“Maybe if you give me a hint, you won’t be disappointed,” I tried to coax it out of him. I’d been trying to get him to tell me all day what we were doing to celebrate. I wasn’t exactly a huge fan of surprises. All he would tell me was that it didn’t require me to dress up and I should probably wear some comfortable shoes and bring a coat. The coat part didn’t thrill me. I didn’t love the cold. But I loved him, so I would see where the night took us.

He nipped my lower lip. “I’m not worried.”

“Fine,” I pouted.

Josh laughed. “I promise you will look back on this night and think, Josh is a genius.”

“We’ll see.” I pecked his cheek. “We better get in there.” I grabbed the cookies Laney and I made, as well as the flowers I’d purchased for the very best friends a girl could ask for. I knew this would be an especially tough night for Tara, as the professor seemed to have ghosted her. And I was trying to be better at showing them exactly what they meant to me.

Josh opened the door and helped me out of the driver’s side, grabbing the cookies for me. His warm hand engulfed mine, and we hustled to the condo. Spring couldn’t come soon enough. I missed warm nights.

Jolene and Tara opened their door before we could even knock. They were both wearing devious grins. Were they plotting with Josh?

I gave them each a scrutinizing glare as we handed them their gifts and walked into what they called “the estrogen zone.” They seemed genuinely pleased I had thought of them. I smiled at their new furniture, which included furry blush Himalayan chairs and a velvet couch covered in unfolded laundry. I refrained from going over and folding their clothes, though it made me twitchy to not remedy the situation.

Tara noticed my agitated state while she grabbed a vase for the pink roses. “Don’t worry, the laundry will get folded just how you taught us.”

“I could help.” I headed in that direction, pulling Josh along with me.

“Step away from the laundry,” Jolene commanded in her best police officer voice.

“But …” I cringed.

Josh tugged me toward the kitchen table where the mics had been set up. “Breathe, Nat, breathe.”

“Have her face the wall,” Tara suggested through her snickering.

“If we just fold the clothes now—”

Josh silenced me with a kiss. “We will waste valuable time.”

I slowly breathed in his scent and focused on the dimples I adored so much, reminding myself it was okay if my best friends wanted to live unruly lives. “Okay.” I let out a long, slow breath.

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