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CHAPTER3
Camille ducked her chin into her red reindeer-patterned scarf and looked down at her head-to-toe scarlet ensemble. Well, nobody could question that she was part of the Women’s Heart Health scavenger hunt today. All around her at the Powell/Mason cable car turnaround spot, people dressed in red, and even someone dressed as Santa, waited for the trolley to arrive.
Her gut tightened thinking about Christmas next weekend. She hadn’t told her family about breaking up with Sean yet. When she showed up at her parents’ house solo, they would understand. Somehow knowing they would rejoice he was out of the picture didn’t make her heart ache less.
Nothing like feeling like a naïve fool who should have kicked him to the curb a long time ago. Well, the universal boot had come into play––she should have broken up with him and when she hadn’t, catching him with his pants down––literally––had left her no alternative.
“There she is.” A smooth, deep voice murmured beside her.
A tingle of awareness danced down her spine when she gazed up at Trent. Damn, he was even hotter in the misty early afternoon sunshine than he’d appeared in the dimly lit bar. Or the maybe twenty times she’d looked at his photo on her phone since last night.
And she’d planted a kiss on him last night, easy as you please. Heat rose in her cheeks. “Hey 007. Ready to win this thing?”
“Oh, we’re coming in first. When do we start?” He flashed a grin, his eyes shone a deep sapphire blue, and those dimples appeared. He wore jeans, a red puffer jacket, and a Santa Hat covered his sandy brown hair.
“The organizers send the first text at 1:00 o’clock. And just so you know, there are a few teams we need to keep an eye out for and stay ahead of.”
His eyes narrowed and he scanned the crowd waiting for the trolley. “Tell me who and I’ll make sure we dust them.”
She giggled. “I mean, it’s all for a good cause and such but over the last few years it always seems to come down to the same contenders.”
He nodded and his tone grew serious. “Got it. Just make sure to point them out. We’ll be faster and stronger.”
Her phone pinged. “Voila, here we go.”
She opened the message and he leaned in, his broad shoulder brushing against her, the heat from his body warming her. She drew in a sharp inhale, then forced herself to read the instructions.
Leg #1:Ride the next cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf. One partner videotapes, and the other sings, “Groove is in the Heart” by Deee-lite. Encourage as many passengers as possible to join in. Make it entertaining! Once you arrive, submit the video and await your next clue. Good luck!
“Oh no, you’ve got to let me film you. I can’t carry a tune. Trust me.” Trent reached one strong tanned hand for her phone.
She laughed, danced back a few steps, and held it out of his reach. “Oh no, they want funny videos so that’s perfect.”
Those gorgeous eyes narrowed again. “Seriously? When I’m stepping in to help?”
“You want to win, right? I’ll sing with you, just not on camera. It will be fun. Pretty please?” She flashed a cheesy grin and batted her eyelashes.
His lips twitched and he rolled his eyes. “No need to lay it on so thick. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The buzzing of the arriving cable car interrupted further protest. The crowd surged toward the trolley, and she grabbed his hand. A frisson of sparks danced up her arm. “I’m sure you’re being hard on yourself.”
Together they hopped up onto the trolley, and snagged seats on the antique style wooden bench adorned with red and green garlands. Another group dressed in red squeezed in next to them, plastering her against Trent’s strong, hard body. Her system leapt to high alert and heat pooled low in her belly. Between his easy-going demeanor, the way he focused on her whenever she spoke, and the memory of his lips against hers, she couldn’t deny her attraction to him.
Time to focus on the task at hand and avoid the temptation to stroke her fingers along his powerful thigh. She set up her phone’s video and angled her body toward Trent. The cable car chugged along the line, the crisp December breeze kicked up, and the jaw-dropping view of Trent framed by the San Francisco Bay filled her screen. Her heart skipped a beat.
“You know the words, right? Let’s do this. Four, three, two, one and…sing.” She hit the record button.
“Just the title.” He exhaled and let loose. “Groove is in the heart. Groove is in the heart.”
She barked out a laugh and her hand bobbled, but she kept the video rolling. He sounded just like the male elks bugling during mating season in Rocky Mountain National Park, like she’d once heard on a visit to Colorado. A few other teams were belting out the song but couldn’t compete with Trent’s ear-piercing screech.
Trent stuck his tongue out. “Told you so.”
She recovered enough to respond, although she couldn’t stem the giggles. “Hey everyone, please help my friend here and sing along.Groove is in the heart.”
A guy at the far end of the cable car howled like a dog and the other passengers joined in. Trent’s wailing couldn’t be drowned out, not even by the other team next to them. Fortunately, the vehicle was open air, and the ride to Fisherman’s Wharf was quick.
Once they reached their stop, they descended to the street, crossed to a spot in front of a row of stores decked out with twinkling holiday lights, and she submitted their video.
