Page 56 of Snowflakes and Ice Skates

“We’ll meet again at the end of the week to cover anything else that we missed today,” Chloe announced as she closed her laptop.

I didn’t think it was possible that we hadn’t covered absolutely every single detail, but I knew better than to question her. Chloe’s mind worked in a very mysterious way. She was always planning and plotting ten steps ahead. It exhausted most people to even try to keep up. I didn’t. I simply followed directions with precision while always being prepared for things to change with a moment’s notice. That’s why she liked me. I didn’t push back.

As an intern, it wasn’t my place to, but I also respected her too much to ever try. She knew what she was doing, and it was my job to support her.

Now, she was once again my boss—well…client—but the lines were pretty blurry, and I fell back into the familiar role of executing her checklist while waiting for that phone call that changed the plan.

“Sounds good. I’ll update you tomorrow about the lighting and tech vendors,” Dani said as she stood.

“Thanks.” Chloe smiled at her, then at me and Taylor. “This is going to be an amazing event. I really appreciate all of you.”

I’d helped plan the holiday event last year, but I was so low in the ranks that I wasn’t actually in any of the planning meetings. I was a foot soldier making sure everything came together in the end. I didn’t get to enjoy the fruit of my labors either. I was too busy keeping the party running smoothly to pause for even a moment.

This year wouldn’t be that different, but at least my opinion was being heard.

As I gathered my laptop and notepad and slid them into my oversized purse, the meeting room’s door swung open, and Jake walked in, followed by Lance and Jason.

“There you are!” Jake flung out his arms, wrapping Dani in a tight bearhug. “We’ve been waiting for hours.”

Chloe tsked but didn’t contradict him.

“You ready, babe?” Jason asked Taylor. She smiled sweetly, and they said their goodbyes before heading out.

I wanted to follow them, but Lance was in the way.

“Hey, Jess,” He smiled down at me, and I offered the same polite smile I always greeted him with.

“Hi, Lance.” Dani told me I didn’t have to bother being nice to him, but I didn’t have it in me to tell him to give up. He made it clear from the first day we met that he was interested in me, and I couldn’t deny he was attractive in an athletic, preppy model sort of way. Unfortunately for him, Dani and Jake shared stories about his behavior in Mexico and before.

He was a player. He tried to hit on Dani, but she managed to dodge him, and now it seemed he had his sights set on me. At least, when I was in the vicinity. I’m sure it was out of sight out of mind for him.

“I haven’t seen you in a bit. How are you?”

It had been a week and a half since I was last stuck in the office alone and forced to speak to him. Usually, Dani ran interference and told him I was out running errands when he came in with Jake to say hello.

“I’ve been super busy with a few holiday events, but good. You?”

His grin widened. “Good.”

He was probably used to women swooning when he unleashed that smile. It wasn’t that he wasn’t a nice guy. He was.

I just wasn’t interested in being his latest conquest. This wasn’t a playing hard to get scheme for me. I genuinely wanted to remain distant because I knew he was a kind, funny, handsome man that I was physically attracted to.

One of my worst personality flaws was that I fell too hard and too fast. I knew that. My heart had been broken too many times in the past. I loved love. I was that girl. But I learned my lesson, over and over again.

Now, I knew better. He was the type of guy I would have fallen for just a year or two ago. But not anymore. I was focusing on myself. Loving myself. At least that’s what my therapist recommended. She was very big on self-love and reminded me I couldn’t truly love someone without loving myself. She believed my past relationships failed because I sought out love and approval from the wrong sources.

She wasn’t wrong.

I told Dani and Chloe about my mission to remain focused on myself and getting my head and heart in the right place, and they agreed to be my support team. They were my relationship bouncers, making sure the wrong men––or any men––didn’t make it into my life.

So it wasn’t just Lance that was to blame for this situation. Although, I thought I made it pretty darn clear I wasn’t interested when I flat out told him I wasn’t dating right now. For some reason, he took that as a challenge. It had been almost two months since that conversation, and he seemed to up his efforts to seek me out.

“We’re going to grab dinner. Do you guys want to come?” Jake’s offer seemed to be for Chloe as well as me and Lance, but he was only looking at me. I almost narrowed my eyes. Whose team was he on? I swear sometimes he acted like Dani had told him about my opinion of Lance and he helped limit the run-ins we had, but times like this, I believed he was conspiring with his teammate.

“I’ve got some more work to do. I’ll see you guys later.” Chloe headed out of the room, leaving me to come up with an excuse to avoid an impromptu double date. So much for being my bouncer. Couldn’t she have said she needed my help?

“So?” Lance watched me.