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“So, was it worth an entire semester of dating me to get that A?” He kissed just below my ear, pressing his mouth into the side of my neck.
It took me a second to regain control of my thoughts. “Um hmm. Definitely worth all of the terrible things I had to endure.”
“Good.” His hand slipped down the back of my shorts causing me to arch forward. He growled into my neck and I could feel his muscles tightening. “I can think of a few other things we haven’t tried yet this semester.”
“Beau! Nina is going to be here any minute.” I laughed, while fighting the fire building under my skin. It would only take him a minute to dissuade me completely from watching the show. Admittedly, I wanted him to carry me to my room and abandon our TV plans. Wrapping myself up in Beau was so much better.
“You know I can’t keep my hands off you.” He was slowly sneaking his other hand under the front of my shirt.
Maybe just a minute wouldn’t hurt. I closed my eyes and rolled my head to the side as he pressed under the edges of my lacy bra.
“Ok. Ok.” He unlocked my legs from his hips and lifted me from his lap. “But, as soon as it ends, you’re mine for the rest of the night. Deal?” He reached for a handful of popcorn.
I sighed, wanting to plant his hands back under my shirt. This would be a long three hours. “Deal.” I pouted.
Within seconds, I heard the familiar rattle of Nina’s keys in the door. “Hey, y’all. I made it just in time.”
“Yep. Just in time.” Beau smiled at her. I nudged him with my elbow.
She dropped into the open recliner. “Can you believe it’s the finale? How cool is it that we’re watching it together? I mean, this show is responsible for bringing you two together. And by two degrees of separation, it’s responsible for Austin and me being together.” She beamed.
Nina and Austin had spent every weekend seeing each other since I had schemed for Nina’s help on the hometown date. They didn’t seem to mind the weekend drives and the phone calls every night. Nina hadn’t said much about what she would do after graduation, but I had a feeling Austin’s zip code was in her job search area.
The front door breezed open again. “Do you have room for two more?” Candace smiled, pulling Pearce into the living room with her.
“Sure. We didn’t know you were coming home.” I hopped up from the couch to hug Candace. “I can’t believe you two came to watch with us.”
“Well, the London James and Beau Anderson Love Match story is kind of famous. We had to be with you when you watched the finale together.”
“That’s so sweet, Candace.”
The towering football player looked uncomfortable by the front door. Watching Love Match was probably something he had never done. I nodded at Beau.
“Hey, man, I’m Beau.” He reached out to shake the wide receiver’s hand. “Want a beer?”
I saw the look of relief spread across Pearce’s face. “Definitely. Thanks, man. Nice to meet you. I’m a huge fan of your blog. I’m down to just a few things on my bucket list.” He followed Beau into the kitchen. I laughed. If only Pearce knew how much Beau admired his stats and skills on the football field.
Candace gave me a “thank you” smile before settling in on the end of the couch. I would have to ask her later how she convinced Pearce to give up a Monday night for our favorite dating show.
Nina squealed, “It’s on! It’s on.”
I turned up the volume just as the rose petals drifted across the screen. I smiled. Beau returned, with a beer in hand, sat on the couch, and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I snuggled closer to him.
“Hello, I’m Mitch Henderson and welcome to the finale of Love Match.”
Tails California
Epilogue
It was hard enough to keep my hands from shaking let alone make sure I wasn’t sandwiched between five cars on the interstate as I raced to the airport. L.A. traffic was supposed to be terrible, that was all part of the allure. Right now, it was making me a nervous wreck.
My turn signal blinked rapidly as I cautiously veered into the far right-hand lane. After one month of the traffic, smog, and fast-paced city life, I was starting to feel at home in the City of Angels and less like a fish out of water.
The apartment my parents moved me into after graduation wasn’t much. I had a kitchenette-living room combination and a bedroom that accommodated my bed and a three-drawer dresser. I had become especially creative about how to organize my shoes. It helped that I didn’t have to haul my sweater collection across the country.
I checked the rearview mirror one more time before merging onto the exit and spiraling into another stream of cars. I had plenty of time before Beau’s flight arrived, but I wanted to park and meet him inside baggage claim. It’s not everyday your boyfriend moves from one coast to the other to be with you.
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