Page 7 of Falling Together

“Only a hard-ass.” The corner of her mouth pulls up into a full smile.

“I mean, they’re still only kids.”

“Ugh. Fine.” She rolls her eyes. “You win. Yes, I was being a hard-ass, but can you blame me? I have a giant red stain on my dress which means I’ll have to trash this dress because I doubt this will come out of satin. And they threw a snowball at me⁠—”

“On purpose?” I ask.

“That I don’t know, but it was just my luck tonight.”

“Sorry.” I wince. “Did you at least enjoy the wedding?”

“I did. How can you not when your best friend is getting married to her person?”

A lovesick look washes over her face. The kind that is still hopeful about love. Something that I lost a long time ago. Love? Not something I’m looking for.

“Are you here by yourself then? No date or anything?”

“Are you fishing, Grant?” she asks before taking another sip of her drink.

“Only curious. I figured someone like you would have a date to your friend’s wedding.”

She shakes her head, blonde wisps of hair floating around her face. In the soft lighting of the bar, it gives her an angelic look.

“Single as a Pringle.”

I snort around my beer. “Alright then.”

“What? I am. No point in denying it. What about you? Is your wife here with you?”

I smile at her. “As you would say, single as a Pringle.”

“Hey, don’t knock it. It works. Especially when you work around kids.”

“So better than single and ready to mingle?”

She laughs and it’s nice to hear. Especially over her yelling at me. Although, I would take that too. I oddly like being in this woman’s orbit.

“Oh my God, you did not just say that.”

“What? That’s what I thought the phrase was supposed to be.”

“Maybe if you’re a dinosaur.”

“Ouch. I’m not that much older than you.”

She eyes me up and down, her gaze lingering over my biceps. Yeah, I definitely like being around this woman.

“You’re what, forty?”

“Really?” I cock a brow at her. “I’m not that old. Thirty-five.”

“You’ve got a decade on me then.”

“You’re twenty-five?”

“I am.” She nods.

There’s something about her that feels older to me. It’s not that she doesn’t look her age, but the way she could command a room? Something I don’t always see of people her age.