Page 38 of What Happened Last Night

She shook the bottle harder. “Let me see it again.”

I showed her my phone, on which was a photo of the unicorn planter Will and I had seen at the estate sale. He must have gone back there after he left me—after he left my closet. He must have found a way to get in and buy it. Then he’d left it on my doorstep early this morning. He’d gone to the trouble, just like he had with the shawl.

He'd also left a note tucked inside the planter.

Luna,

I’ll answer the question you asked when you saw this. It’s gorgeous.

There’s a spot beneath the left-hand window that suits it.

Thank you for the most perfect Sunday I’ve ever spent.

Will

“Huh,” Katie said as she peered at the photo again, taking in the unicorn’s blue-stone eyes and prancing pose. “Isn’t it kind of ugly?”

“It’s gorgeous,” I replied. I hadn’t showed Katie the note. I’d never show anyone the note. I’d let the note absorb straight into my veins forever, unread by anyone but me.

“Was it expensive?” Katie asked, still trying to figure this out.

“Not at all.” I’d seen the price when we originally saw it, and the tag was still taped to the unicorn’s ear. Eighty dollars.

Will had bought my heart for eighty dollars.

“Then why’d he buy it?” Katie asked.

“Because I liked it.”

“Did you say you liked it?”

“No, but I commented on it. And he could tell.”

“Hmm. Do you actually like it?”

“I love it.” I did. I hadn’t realized until I saw the unicorn on my doorstep, doing its dopey prance to nowhere. I loved that thing. And Will was right—it fit precisely in an empty spot beneath my window. It fit in exactly with the rest of my place. It didn’t even need a plant in it, though I’d consider getting one. It didn’t need the price tag taken off. It looked perfect as it was. When Will had been looking around my place, while I’d been admiring his butt, he’d actually been scoping out a spot for the unicorn.

Eighty dollars.

Katie was still confused, because I’d told her about the unicorn and Will coming over and my stupid excuse to Reggie, but I hadn’t told her about the note or the kiss. She was looking out for me, which was something we did for each other. A rich man love-bombing you with expensive things you didn’t ask for and don’t want? Great in a book, but a red flag in real life. A man coming to your doorstep uninvited? Red flag.

But the unicorn wasn’t expensive, I loved it, and I had invited Will to my apartment. So she had to think it over.

“Is he trying to have sex with you?” she asked bluntly, bending over my left hand. Her long, straight blond hair was twisted back in a ponytail and she had cool glasses with clear frames. She’d just had her lashes done and she looked amazing. Her last boyfriend had told her after a month that he wasn’t over his ex, so she broke up with him. So far, there wasn’t a man in existence who deserved Katie.

“No,” I said.

She gave me a piercing stare that belonged in Guantanamo Bay. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” I mean, he’d wanted to—he’d been hard. Really hard. I felt my face go hot. I was probably as red as a tomato. Telling Katie about Will’s erection seemed like a betrayal, so instead I said, “He could have pressured me. But he didn’t.”

“Green flag,” Katie said, a little reluctantly. “Has he texted you since?”

“Yes. He said…He thanked me for the most perfect Sunday he’s ever spent.” I paraphrased the note.

Katie’s eyes went wide. “Okay, green flag. You know a lot about him by now. Is he a player?”

“Unless he has a top secret double life, which I suppose is possible, Will is the opposite of a player. He doesn’t date at all.”

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