Page 64 of Flirting with Trouble

He tries to debate me, but I win, and when we get off the plane, he insists on walking me to the car. He gazes warmly at me and slides his hand along my jaw, brushing his thumb over my cheek, and says, “I’m going to miss you.”

My heart squeezes, and I lean into his touch, knowing I’m going to miss him, too. I open my mouth to tell him as much, but the words won’t come, so I hook my finger into his belt loop, pulling him closer, go up on my toes, and press my lips to his.

He opens the car door for me, and as I get in, he says, “See you Wednesday, sweets.”

“What’s Wednesday?” I try to remember whether we made plans, but nothing comes to mind.

He cocks a grin. “Our weekly walkabout. See what kind of trouble we can get into.”

A little thrill runs through me. “I guess I’m not working late on Wednesday.”

“Now you’re catching on.” He leans in for one more kiss and closes the car door.

He watches as the car drives away, and I watch him, too, until I can no longer see him.

My heart is pounding from the wonderfulness of the day. I revel in that, and then I tuck it away like a treasure, knowing I’ll revisit the memories a hundred more times tonight.

I reach into my purse for my phone to call Seth, and my fingers touch something furry. I peer into my bag, and laughter bubbles out at the sight of a red furry crab with Baltimore stitched on its back, sitting among napkins from the places we ate, a piece of paper from a notepad at the hotel where we stayed, and cards from some of the shops we visited. I pick up my keys to see the tiny boat dangling from the chain, and my heart skips.

Feeling like a teenager with her first crush, I take another minute to try to calm that joy so I can be appropriately annoyed at Seth.

He answers on the first ring and says, “I wondered when you’d call.”

“When were you planning on telling me that you were partnering with Wells?”

“I figured he’d tell you.”

“You should’ve told me.” I lower my voice so the driver can’t listen to my conversation. “First you tell me he’s all wrong for me, and the next morning you’re talking to him about partnering? I thought you didn’t trust him.”

“I never said that. I said he was a good guy.”

“You said he was wrong for me.”

“Yeah, because I could tell how much you liked him, and if I told you he was right for you and I thought you should see him again, you never would have.”

“What kind of mixed-up psych bullshit is that?”

“Vic, you always do the opposite of what anyone tells you.”

“I do not. When have I ever done that?”

He laughs. “How much time do you have?”

“Seth, I’m serious. I should be able to count on you to have my back.”

“Hey, I always have your back. Didn’t I have it today when you asked me about fish?”

I huff out, “Yes.”

“Then stop giving me shit. It sounded like you guys were having a great time.”

“That’s beside the point.”

“No, sis. That is the point, and we’re all happy for you. Like I said, Wells is a good guy.”

“I know he is, but we’re just friends, so don’t go making it into anything bigger.” The word friends leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and I don’t know why I’m upset with Seth, which is also frustrating.

“Friends who scout bands together and stay overnight in a new city to do fun things the next day,” Seth says. “You’ve needed a friend like him for a long time.”