Page 26 of Had to Be You

Which was more proof that she needed to stay away from him. She knew that players’ attentions could be fickle, but Knox’s one-eighty was proof that attraction wasn’t something one should act on if they wanted something more significant than a one-night stand.

The memory of Knox’s hand brushing across Laura’s forehead as he placed an ice pack on her sent a tingle skittering down her spine. The sensation caused her to question if a one-night stand was really that bad of an idea.

"Well, maybe he’s just backing off out of respect. You did turn him down."

Kennedy had a point. But still, even the way he looked at her today felt so different. Although that could be because she’d been glammed up for the wedding, today she’d had on a tank top, shorts, and no makeup.

"Or he’s playing the long game," her friend said.

After patting her face dry with a towel, Laura applied her first serum and let it dry as she squeezed toothpaste onto her toothbrush and repeated, "The long game?"

"Yeah, he is staying above your shop. He has time now. That, or he is pulling a yo-yo."

"A yo-yo?"

"Yeah, you know, when you show a little interest, then pull it back. It keeps ‘em guessing and wanting more."

"Where do you learn this stuff?"

"Podcasts. Books. Mrs. Chen."

Kennedy worked for one of the founding members of the Needlepoint Mafia. She was a broker at the Chen’s real estate office. Mrs. Chen considered herself an expert on love. Actually, she considered herself an expert on practically everything. And from what Laura had witnessed, she wasn’t wrong.

Laura used to believe that Mrs. Chen didn’t like her. She’d been the selling agent of the Snack Shack, and throughout the entire process, Laura was sure the woman couldn’t stand her. Their interactions had always been brief and less than friendly. The emails they exchanged were even colder than their in-person encounters.

Then, a month after Laura purchased the business, there was an electrical fire, and the building went up in flames. Mrs. Chen organized a fundraiser and found grants for Laura to apply for. She’d enlisted workers to come help her rebuild and had shown up every day for a month to make sure the crew were staying on schedule, which they were because they were all terrified of Mrs. Chen.

The woman wasn’t warm or overtly nurturing, but she was there when you needed her.

"If I had to put money on it, I’d go with the long game."

Laura sighed. There was a possibility that Kennedy's friend wasn’t considering. "Or he may have already lost interest."

"No. I saw the way he was looking at you. It was love at first sight."

"I think you’re mistaking love for lust," she explained as she began brushing her teeth.

It was a common error. One that Laura herself had made more times than she wanted to admit. But an error nonetheless.

"Just promise me, no matter what happens with you two, you’ll still go to the speed dating thing with me."

"It’s in a week, isn’t it?" Laura had agreed to go to support her friend in her new dating adventure, but she was not looking forward to it. Apparently, the event had a forty percent success rate. Kennedy might not be suffering from baby fever like Laura, but her bestie was definitely ready to settle down.

Honestly, Laura wasn’t sure why no one had ever put a ring on Kennedy’s finger and locked her down. She was smart, kind, funny, stunningly gorgeous, and ambitious. Laura was single, but she’d been married. Twice. The longest relationship that Kennedy had ever had was in high school with Kade McKnight, who was now happily married to their friend Ali.

Her friend was picky; her standards were high, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Kennedy had sent Laura the list she’d made of what she was looking for in a potential mate, and it was long. But she knew what she wanted, and she refused to settle. Laura thought more women should take a page out of Kennedy’s book. Still, it might answer the question of why her friend was single.

"Yes, it’s next Saturday," Kennedy confirmed.

"You think I’m gonna get wifed up by next weekend?"

"I think if it was up to Knox Savage, then yes, he would definitely wife you up by then."

"Well, it’s not up to him." Not that Laura believed he had any interest at all in her at this point. He might have been lust-struck yesterday, but today whatever spell he’d been under had definitely been broken. He was giving off serious friend-zone vibes.

Which was fine. Great. That’s exactly what he should be doing. Kennedy was right; Laura had been the one to turn him down.

What if he was respecting her boundaries but still interested?

Source: www.allfreenovel.com