AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Of course, please take all the time you need. I am already compiling some new matches for you, because I don’t want this to stop you from finding the right partner. I assure you that I will go over every single one of them with a fine-tooth comb. This willnothappen again.”
“Thank you.” August ended the call before Maxine had a chance to say anything else.
For a moment, she could only stare at the phone in her hands, her mind whirring.
What if they couldn’t stop Asher from writing his article? What if August was the victim in yetanotherviral dating disaster? What if this was merely a grim preview of what her dating life would always be—from the frying pan into the dumpster fire?
Why, oh why, did she push Keaton away that fateful Christmas Eve?
13
On the drive over to the restaurant, following along behind the car containing Isla, Scout and their respective partners, Keaton was convinced something was up with August. She’d barely said a word the whole time—which was long enough that her silence wasdefinitelynoticeable. He’d tried a few times to get her talking, but she stared out of the window, as if transfixed by the scenery, which, while nice, wasn’tthatinteresting.
“Is everything okay?” he asked as they pulled into the main strip of a small town. It was a picturesque place, with old buildings and colorful awnings capping the entrances of ice cream parlors, bakeries and bookstores. The kind of place you’d expect to see as the backdrop in one of those Hallmark Christmas movies his sister loved so much. “You’ve been quiet as a mouse.”
“It’s been a long day,” she replied.
“I know you work ridiculous hours. This is nothing.”
“Maybe it’s all the fresh air.” She gave a weak laugh. “City girl isn’t used to breathing in something that doesn’t smell like gasoline and burned pretzels.”
He frowned. She was dodging, which wasn’t like August. Usually if she had a problem with him, she had no issue telling him to shove it.
“I certainly don’t smell gasoline or burned pretzels out here, but Idosmell some bullshit.”
Her head snapped toward him. “Excuse me?”
“You’re excused.”
She frowned. “What are you trying to say?”
“That something is going on and you’re being weird. I suspect it has to do with the kiss, but you don’t want to talk about it, which leaves us in an uncomfortable position of being awkward around one another.” He let out a breath. “And I don’t like it.”
“Being awkward?”
“Not with you.” He shook his head. “And not when we need to spend not only the rest of the night together, but the rest of the weekend as well.”
It was Friday evening now, and they had the whole weekend together ahead of them. The last thing he wanted was August and him having to tiptoe around one another instead of just having a conversation.
“So why don’t you change rooms?” she said, her voice laced with challenge. “That might help the awkwardness.”
His shoulders immediately hiked up. “Why don’tyouchange rooms?”
If she thought he was going to give up winning their little game simply because she wanted an easy out, then she was shit out of luck.
It wassochildish, such a silly competition. But bantering with August was sometimes the only thing that felt real to him anymore. The rest of the time he was lost in his work, forgetting all his own needs, burying his memories. With her, things were...comfortable.
Except not right now, and that pissed him off.
“It’s not the kiss,” she said with a huff, folding her arms across her chest.
“Then what is it?”
“Nothing I want to talk about.”
Keaton watched the road as the car in front of them started flashing its turn signal light and pulled into a side street. He followed and parked his car. Outside, he could hear Scout’s and Isla’s laughter as they exited the other car. When he killed the engine, he turned to look at August.
She’d dressed up for dinner, although it was dressed up for a meal in a small town, rather than the kind of dressed up he usually witnessed in Manhattan. She wore a pretty yellow top with some white embroidery at the neckline and those puffy sleeves that made her look like a sexy Swedish milkmaid.
