Page 98 of Last First Date

“I don’t want the job and I don’t need you to encourage it. Just forget about it.”

I dropped it, but that didn’t mean I stopped thinking about it. She had no reason to stay with me. I had not offered her anything. I wasn’t even sure I knew how to offer her something. She was everything I never knew I wanted, but what was I to her? A comforting presence? A friendly boss? A temporary distraction?

The plane descended, the wheels touching down with a gentle thud. Reality awaited us. As we disembarked, I felt like a new chapter was beginning in my life. One I hadn’t anticipated, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with it.

As we stepped off the plane into the Utah sunshine, Waverly reached out to hold my hand, a simple gesture that spoke volumes. She tried to pull away, but I stopped her. She looked into my eyes, giving me a chance to say the words I just couldn’t quite get out. I chickened out.

“Thank you for doing such a good job,” I said. “You represented the company well.”

I saw a flash of hurt in her eyes before she smiled. “It was a good trip. I’ll see you at work.”

She walked to her car, and I walked to mine. Gone were the town cars and skyscrapers. Instead, it was blue skies and orange cliffs all around us. I watched her pull out of the parking lot of the small airport and wanted to kick myself for missing my chance to tell her how I felt.

I drove home and stepped into the empty house. I assumed my mother was out with friends or attending some charity meeting. I made my way to my bedroom and quickly unpacked my bag, tossing my dirty clothes into the laundry and changing into sweats and a T-shirt. I needed to burn off some frustration. After all the good eating in New York, a little time on the treadmill was just what I needed.

The tread on the rubber belt hissed beneath my pounding feet, the steady rhythm of my run the only sound in the home gym. My mind was still churning with thoughts of Waverly.

The monotonous motion gave me time to contemplate, and I found myself wondering if I was being fair to her. I had assumed so much about our relationship in my own mind but had never really discussed it with her.

I began to worry about the emotional confusion I might have caused her, especially when she was obviously feeling a certain way. I couldn’t be a doting boyfriend one minute and then her boss the next.

As my legs began to tire and sweat prickled at my hairline, I realized I had crossed a line. I needed to figure out if I wanted to be with her or not. This yo-yo thing was not going to work for either of us.

I pushed myself to a sprint for the last few minutes of my run, hoping to exhaust the rest of my anxiety. When the clock hit zero, I slowed down, my chest heaving as I stepped off.

I didn’t have any epiphanies, but at least I would be tired enough to get some sleep.

41

WAVERLY

The days following the New York trip were a whirlwind of excitement and disbelief. I found myself caught in a world that wasn’t mine. I hated being recognized everywhere I went. Knox had called it my fifteen minutes of fame, but it was all so disturbing to have people look at me and know my name. I found myself trying to disguise my appearance.

It had been a long week, and while I was looking forward to going out with Janie and Meredith, I was also nervous about being out in public. I hoped no one recognized me. I would have preferred to stay in, but Janie and Meredith insisted on a night out to celebrate.

Knox and I had gotten back from New York and went right back to our routine at work. It was as if nothing happened. It had left me unsettled and sad. A night out with my girls was exactly what I needed.

I was going to tell them about Knox. I knew I could trust them. I walked into the bar and quickly spotted my friends.

Janie jumped up and hugged me. “Waverly, you’re practically a celebrity now! How does it feel to be famous?”

I laughed, a mixture of disbelief and gratitude bubbling within me. “Famous might be a stretch, but it’s surreal. I never expected any of this to happen.”

Meredith raised her glass, toasting to the unexpected journey that had unfolded. “To the lingerie runway sensation! You’re living every girl’s dream. I’m so jealous.”

“I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t awesome, but it’s weird to be recognized,” I said.

Janie looked at me with sympathy in her eyes. “I can imagine. But I hope you’re enjoying it, too. You’re a star in our eyes. And it’s pretty cool we get to have drinks with a bona fide celebrity.”

I smiled and rolled my eyes. “I am not a celebrity. My fame will be over by the end of next week or until a celebrity decides to do something stupid.”

After a couple of drinks, I mustered enough courage to bring up the topic of Knox. “Girls,” I began, biting my lower lip in apprehension. “There’s something more that happened in New York.”

Meredith and Janie exchanged knowing looks before turning their full attention to me. “You can tell us anything, but if you tell us you hooked up with a hot celebrity, we have to hate you for a little bit.”

I laughed. “Then you should start hating me.”

“Who?” Janie gasped.