Page 41 of Book Club Confidential

Tessa spotted Grant outside a downtown corner shop with windows facing both streets. The building was brick, historic, and one of her favorites in the area. White puffy clouds sailed across a brilliant blue sky, creating a big-picture image that could easily have been the backdrop of an ad campaign for local tourism or men’s cologne.

Get away to Harbor Heights, Virginia, where visual blessings abound.

Or maybe Sexy Smart Man cologne, one whiff and you’ll never spend another night alone. Voiceover: Sexy Smart Man by Grant Gaines. Exclusively available at Nordstrom.

“Oh!” Tessa’s arms flew up as she sank one unexpecting foot into a section of busted sidewalk. “Goodness,” she wheezed, narrowly saving herself from an untimely face-plant in front of the man of her daydreams.

Grant performed a double take, then smiled. “You’re here. That was fast.”

“I didn’t have far to go,” she said, catching her breath. “How are you?” She added kind to the mental list of adjectives she’d begun collecting to describe him. He didn’t say a word about her wild balancing dance, mid-sidewalk. “Still holding strong? Sign any contracts?”

He laughed. “I’ve maintained control so far, but I’m not sure that’ll last. I think I’m falling in love.”

Tessa’s mouth opened, then snapped shut. “Oh, yeah?”

He looked away, fixing his eyes on the building before them and fighting a small smile. “It’s the perfect spot.”

Tessa bit her lip and nodded.

“It needs significantly more work inside than the other two on my list, but this location—” He opened his arms and turned in a small circle. “Great. Right?”

A swell of pride filled Tessa’s chest as she watched him. The appreciation in his eyes, for the location, for the town. She loved that the invisible thread she often imagined connecting her to other locals, family members, strangers, and friends linked his heart too.

“You’re laughing,” he said. “I’m being ridiculous.”

“No.” She shook her head and stepped closer. “I just like watching you twirl.”

His smile fell, then he burst into laughter. “I was going to argue with you, because twirling is arguably not very masculine, but I think you’re right. I twirled.”

“You did,” she agreed. “I also think this is an incredible spot to open a business. I looked into all three addresses you sent me, and this is the easiest to find with the most traffic, which makes all those glorious windows a huge added value. You can put your company name and branding up front for all to see. Not to mention you’d be in the center of all the downtown festivals, events, and hubbub.”

“I do enjoy good hubbub.”

She laughed again. “This place is also the most expensive, and like you mentioned, it will require a significant amount of capital to prep it before you can open the doors.”

He slid his hands into his pockets, listening carefully as she spoke.

“Delaying the launch while you make repairs and get things in order is another expense due to days of lost revenue,” she said. “That adds up. Depending on your budget, the compounded issues here might be insurmountable.”

Grant stepped toward the nearby door, a small crooked smile on his lips. “You sure you work in advertising? Because you sound a lot like my accountant and financial planner.”

“I like to research,” she said.

“Nerd.”

Tessa laughed, and he tipped his head, motioning her to follow.

“This is definitely at the top of my budget,” he said. “But I think we owe it to ourselves to take a look inside. I have this shiny little key until morning.” He wiggled it between his fingers.

“Morning? Wow. How’d you manage that?”

“My realtor is an old friend, and he represents the owner.” Grant winked, then unlocked and opened the door.

Flecks of dark-green paint flaked from the jamb, and a haunted-house-quality creak echoed through the cavernous space.

“I’ll have to oil that,” Grant said, as if the creak even came close to the space’s greater problems.

A deep crack ran diagonally down the pane of glass in the door. Dead flies lined the windowsill and threshold, likely having spent their short lives attempting an escape.