Page 14 of I Choose You

“Wagner.” I tapped my fingers on her counterspace and retreated. “No need. I’ll find her later.”

As I left, I replayed my words. “I’ll find her later?” I whispered on the elevator I had to myself. Could I sound any more like a damn stalker?

I hadn’t set out to find Brooke, but now that our paths had crossed, I sure hoped I might be able to plan on seeing her once more.

Back at the office, I grabbed a wrap from a deli cart and headed toward Kody’s office.

He stood, wrapping up a call. While he spoke with his earbuds in, he stood and tossed a small basketball into a net that hung from his bathroom door.

I closed the door behind me as I entered. He’d opened it at my knock and wordlessly beckoned me inside.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” he told the person on the other line. He rolled his eyes at me and glanced at my wrap. I tried to eliminate the sound of crinkling paper, but it was no use. It was also impossible to not make a mess.

A blob of honey fell but more hung from my lips.

Kody shoved a small stack of napkins at me, then sat in his chair. Rubbing his face, he inserted noncommittal replies of uh-huh and the like.

We usually stayed in our own lanes here. He was more the sales guy, and I dealt more with the creative part of the company. I couldn’t guess who he was talking to that he wanted to end the call as soon as possible, but when he did finally hang up, he had to suffer through a Midwestern farewell of saying goodbye about nine times.

“My God.” He rubbed his face again then sat up. “How come you’re eating lunch so late?”

“Had a meeting with the paper distribution place.” I wiped my face and watched as he got up and went to his bar. He tossed me a water bottle and I caught it. “Thanks.”

“And how’d that go, mister smooth talker who claims he always gets the deal?”

“I did get the deal, but guess who I ran into there.”

He shrugged. “That redhead I brought to our cousin’s wedding?”

“Nope.”

“Uh, the tall woman I met at Club Vista I had to put a restraining order on?”

I blinked. “Yikes. I hope neither of us ever see her again. Also no.” Realizing this could take a while since Kody had a long list of women—mostly scorned—I gave in. He’d never guess, anyway. I’d been so stunned because I never counted on seeing her again.

“Brooke Ponder.”

He raised his brows and smirked. “Who the hell is that?”

“Brooke Ponder?” I tried again.

He shrugged.

“From high school. Black hair. I think we had chemistry with her.”

“Oh!” He frowned. “The ugly one?”

I couldn’t help a grin. “Oh, I assure you, there is nothing ugly about that woman.”

“Oh?” His smile wasn’t trustworthy. “Did she glow up?”

I shrugged. “I wouldn’t have considered her ugly back then either.”

“She’s hot now?”

I nodded.

“Isn’t she the one we—”