Page 34 of Made Better Together

“Sorry, you need to go.”

Yeah, I do. I hold the door open for her, her skirt swishing as she leaves.

I’ll DM her tomorrow to make plans. Because we will make plans.

9

EDEN

We make our way out of the wine cellar, and I’m pretty sure Connor doesn’t walk as quickly as he would otherwise so that I can keep up in my heels.

We don’t talk, though, now that we’re in public. He seems anxious, probably to get to where his family needs him.

Once we’re at the door to the ballroom, he opens it for me.

“Thank you.” I smile at him, trying to recover our connection before we have to break apart inside.

He relaxes once our eyes link, and grins back. “Anytime.”

I remember the time he used that word last year, and blush.

In the minutes since I put two and two together, I haven’t completely processed what Connor and I living in Orlando at the same time could involve.

Do I want to hang out with him? That seems to be an easy yes based on my excitement at his question in the wine cellar.

Do I want anything else? A hookup? A real date? Assuming that’s even what he’s looking for.

I need time to think, and this isn’t the place or moment.

“I’m going to find my sister before I get in trouble,” he says. “But tomorrow⁠—”

“Connor,” a male voice calls. “Oh, and Eden Larsson.” His voice sounds surprised when he says my name.

A thirty-something man in an olive suit steps closer. “Hi Eden, I’m Milo Granzatto. I don’t think we’ve met.”

Connor’s new boss.

I offer my hand. “Hi, great to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine. I watched you during the College Cup last year in Indianapolis.” The College Cup is another name for the NCAA soccer championships. We made it to the semis but lost 3–2. “You’re still at Tolliver for one more season, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve decided to stay and graduate from school.” Unlike most of my peers, who are in the pros now—the unspoken context of his question.

He raises his brow, but his tone is kind. “I read that somewhere. A degree is important, good for you.”

He pivots his gaze to Connor and then back to me. “I didn’t expect you to be here, but of course that makes sense with your dad. How do you and Connor know each other?”

Connor is the one who answers. “Mutual friends.”

“Great.” He then shifts to Connor. “I’m glad I ran into you. I know you’re supposed to start in two days, and I had a thought on my way here. How do you feel about coming to LA with me for your first eight weeks?”

Connor looks surprised. “Well⁠—”

“My main partner there, Sheila, has to fly to London to work with our Premier League clients, and our junior partner had to take an early maternity leave two days ago. So I’m going to need to cover the office for a bit.”

“LA?” Connor looks at a loss for words for the first time since our first meeting three years ago.

“Everything would be paid for by the firm. We’d fly out tomorrow night.”