Page 6 of My Lucky Charm

“Honestly, maybe they were dating first. Maybe I was the other woman.” This hadn’t occurred to me before. “Oh, man. What if I was the other woman? I’ve never been the other woman. Is that scandalous? That feels scandalous.”

Another pause.

I shake off the thought and go on. “Regardless, he’s here, and I’m totally over him, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want him to be a little jealous, right? He’s here with her, and this whole thing is being rubbed in my face. And my friend Meredith said I should find someone to kiss at midnight because how pathetic is it that he’s here with her and I’m here with no one, just completely alone? I mean not alone because I’m here with Meredith and our other friends, but they’re all paired off. Not one of them is single. But also, I don’t kiss strangers. I mean, as a rule.” I pause for a beat, and then, realizing, I say, “But also, I really do want to show him that I’m fine. I’ve moved on. Someone else might actually want to be with me, even if it’s all for show.”

I stop talking, not because I don’t have more to say, but because I think I’ve used up all the words in the English language.

I wince. The man beside me hasn’t so much as twitched, and he certainly hasn’t said a word. I conclude that his scent must’ve cast a spell on me, because complete delirium is the only explanation I can think of for my ridiculous outburst.

I’m aware of this, but because his silent stare is making my skin tingle, I take another breath and, of course, keep talking.

“So, that’s why I sat down. Because you’ve been here a while, and you seem to be alone, and you’re not wearing a wedding ring, and plus, you look like—you know, like Thor.”

He makes a noise that I think I’d describe as half-laugh, half-scoff.

I start to bounce in my seat. “This is far more humiliating than hiding in the bathroom during the New Year’s countdown. And while nobody else would notice if I did that, I think Jay might. Maybe. And then I’d definitely look like a pathetic, wallowing ex-girlfriend.”

The bartender rings a bell hanging behind the bar, and the room goes quiet.

“We’re a minute away from midnight, people!” he calls out, and everyone starts pairing off and murmuring.

I glance over and find Jay watching me. I quickly look down at my untouched Coke.

“Which one is he?”

My eyes shoot over to the no longer silent giant sitting beside me. “Um, he’s over by the windows in that group—” I motion with my head. Now that this man is looking at me, it’s hard to concentrate. He’s even better looking straight-on, and I’m pretty sure I just felt my stomach do a backflip that would at least win silver at the Olympics.

I clear my throat. “He’s, uh, the one with dark hair, and he’s wearing a blue turtleneck.”

“Your first problem was dating a guy who wears turtlenecks,” Hot and Broody says under his breath.

His eyes flick over to the group behind me, and I use this lapse in his attention to notice that they are the coolest shade of turquoise I’ve ever seen.

He faces me, one arm resting on the bar, and frowns. “So, you came over here to ask me to kiss you?”

My eyes dip to his lips at the mention of the word kiss, and I quickly force them up. I nod. “Dumb, right?” Because even though it sounds ridiculous now that it’s out there in the ether, it also sounds delicious, and my skin heats at the thought.

“All right, everyone, let’s count it down!” The bartender shouts this, and everyone joins in.

“Ten! Nine! Eight!”

“You really don’t have to—” I say.

“Seven! Six! Five!”

“I hate cheaters.” He slides off the stool. He takes a step toward me, and my muscles tense. He’s tall, I see now, and he doesn’t bother keeping his distance. He pulls me up off the stool, and presses my body against his, heat radiating off of him.

“Four! Three! Two!”

I think I hear shouts of “Happy New Year” as the world goes to slow motion and this man, this beautiful stranger, takes my face in his hands and kisses me without an ounce of hesitation.

But he doesn’t just kiss me. He kisses me. Pins me in place with the kind of kiss that will ruin me for all future kisses.

My entire body rises to meet him, and I slide my hands up under his jacket, pressing against his firm, taut back, and giving in to the sheer delight of it all. The din of the rowdy bar fades as he deepens the kiss, making me think that every other man I’ve ever kissed has been doing it wrong.

My rib cage isn’t enough to contain the pounding of my wild, excited heart.

I kiss him back, this stranger in a bar, thinking that the only things I know about him are that he smells good and he hates cheaters, and somehow, that’s enough.

---