Page 68 of What Happened Last Night

He gave a soft laugh. “You think I’d actually forget that we have a date tonight? That isn’t likely. I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”

I winced. “I got mad because I’m trying to impress you.”

“What does that mean?”

I lifted my cheek and looked up at him. How did he have such a nice jawline? Since when did I find a man’s jawline sexy? “Will, you took me to a rock concert on a private plane.”

“That was for work,” he argued, looking honestly confused.

“You bought me thoughtful gifts. You booked my family’s inn. I stayed at your penthouse. Then you took Katie and me to a dinner that probably cost half my rent.”

“Not half,” he insisted, a little stubbornly. “Portland rents are crazy.”

“The point is, I was trying to do something nice for you, for once,” I said.

He looked at me, and for a long moment, I felt it. We were starting to understand each other. This was something, him and me. If we did this right, this might actually work.

“Okay,” Will said, his voice a little cautious. He let me go. “Let’s start over.” He picked up the box of brownies, then held them out to me. “Hi,” he said. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

I took the box. “That’s okay. I’d appreciate it if you would text next time, though.”

“I understand,” he replied. “I’ll do that.” Then he stepped forward and kissed me.

I stretched up on my toes and kissed him back. Oh, he had me when he did that. He had no idea. All he had to do to make me weak was kiss me. I hoped he’d never figure that out, or I’d be finished.

I pulled back and put the box on the counter for a second time. “Hold that thought,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”

I hurried down the front stairs and knocked on Reggie’s apartment door. When she answered, her jacket in her hand, she smiled. “Hi, honey.”

“Reggie,” I said firmly, “you get one warning.” I held up a finger for emphasis. “One. Leave Will alone. Stop asking him questions. And butt out of my business.”

Her eyes went wide. Then she recovered and started slowly putting on her jacket. “Don’t you want to know if I like him?” she asked.

“No, I don’t. I don’t care. He’s my business, and you’re going to butt out of my business.” This felt good. Why hadn’t I said all of this sooner? “Also, whatever you hear in my apartment—you didn’t hear it. Do you get me?”

She smiled. “Oh, I won’t hear anything. Don’t worry about that.” She called over her shoulder. “Lloyd, we’re going.”

My Uncle Lloyd appeared, also wearing a jacket. He was half a foot taller than Reggie, skinny and serious, with a long face, like a vampire. You wouldn’t know from looking at him that he was actually sweet and gave my dad a toy that made fart sounds as a gag Christmas present last year. “Hi, honey,” he said.

“We’re going to a movie,” Reggie said, smiling now. “Then we’re going for a late dinner. Probably for a drink or two afterward, too. I have no idea when we’ll be home.”

“It’ll be hours,” Lloyd said, deadpan. “Several hours.”

“Definitely hours,” Reggie agreed.

I blinked at her. “You’d do that?”

“Of course I would.” My aunt patted my shoulder. “Oh, honey. I’ll be honest. You have no idea what happens in our apartment on the days you go to Bend to see your mother.”

It took a second for me to understand what she was getting at. Then I felt my face go hot.

“You have to take every chance you can,” Lloyd said pleasantly. “Make all the noise you want.”

I put my hands over my cheeks and made a helpless uh sound. I couldn’t think of what to say.

“We’ll come up with a system,” Reggie said, ignoring my reaction.

“A sock on the doorknob,” Lloyd suggested. “That’s what we used to do in my college days.”

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