AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What is it?” she asked, putting a hand on each of my arms and staring into my face. “Looking like Josh isn’t a bad thing. So you have a type. So what? Besides, you said you didn’t think he looked like Josh at all. So it’s fine.”
“It’s not that,” I said, shaking my head and stepping out of her grasp. “It’s Josh. He waswaitingfor me when I got back from my date with Tanner last night.”
Isla’s eyes widened. “Whoa. You’re kidding.”
“And he came over, and we ended up…talking. He apologized.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” She got a dreamy look in her eyes.
My pulse ratcheted up, and a weight landed on my chest. “No! That’s notwonderful. He doesn’t get to throw away what we almost had and break my heart and then come back from London and be all like, ‘Oh, sorry.’”
Isla clamped down on her smile. “No, of course not. You’re right. It’s just…”
“What?”
She shrugged with a sheepish expression. “I always liked Josh. For you. You two were really good together.”
“Until we were on separate continents.”
She sighed and looked away. “Yeah.”
“This is fascinating,” Janet deadpanned. Isla and I both glanced over at her. She was staring at us, sipping her coffee. “Go on,” she said, waving her hand for us to continue. “I’m just the audience here.”
I shook my head. It was not a mystery why Lindsay wanted Janet far away. I returned my attention to Isla. “Look, I had a great time with Tanner last night. We really connected. Josh is out of the picture. Completely cut out and deleted. Moved into the little trash can. Delete all. Confirm.”
Isla tilted her head as if my diatribe warranted further evaluation. “I don’t know. You said Josh came over last night. That means he made it inside your room. I think he’s photoshopping himself back into the picture.”
Before I put a stop to further Josh speculations, a cry went up from the crowd around us. I whipped around to the display window. Tanner was melting!
There were oohs and ahhs as the two large balls of his costume seemed to dissolve into a puddle on the floor. After a minute or so, the whole thing had melted, and Tanner stood there in Santa-themed boxers, a swoon-inducing set of washboard abs on full display.
“Oh, that’s what his body type is,” Janet said with a glance at me. “I get it now.”
Everyone got it, apparently, because the crowd pushed forward, people jockeying for a closer view. I was pressed between Janet and an elderly lady carrying several large shopping bags who yelled, “Take it all off!”
Isla and I laughed. I jerked my head toward the street in a suggestion that we get free of the crowd. Isla nodded in agreement. As I started to worm my way out, I caught movement in the window. Tanner was waving at me. Just a little gesture, but his eyes found mine, and they sparkled when I smiled.
“What are you smiling at?” Janet asked, squishing in too close, right at my elbow.
“He waved at me.” Even Janet’s dour face couldn’t kill my joy.
“Wonderful.” Her monotone delivery made it clear she thought it was anything but.
“Listen, I’m supposed to go to lunch with Tanner now.” I bit my thumbnail and glanced back at the window. The curtain was just starting to close. “Well, as soon as he dries off and gets changed. Janet, do you want to do some sightseeing or shopping on your own—maybe grab a bite—and I’ll meet back up with you after?”
She pursed her lips in a sour expression, but before she could answer, Isla butted in. “She can hang out with me! It’ll be fun.” Isla threw her arms over her head in a dance move and bumped Janet’s hip with her own.
“No,” Janet said as she stepped out of Isla’s hip range. “Just no.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Isla pleaded, skipping sideways to catch up with Janet and still wiggling her hips.
Wow. She was really trying here.
Janet blinked her owlish eyes and backed up. “Very well. I’ll spend lunchtime with you, but no more”—she waved a hand at Isla’s hips—“bumping and grinding me.”
Isla froze, and her mouth dropped open. “Um, okay. I promise not to bump and grind you.”
Janet nodded. “Okay, then.”
