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“Popcorn first. I’m not done hanging out with you.”
“Why would you have to be done?”
“Because you have to go back to work.”
“Well, my shift is supposed to go until eight, but I can hang out with you as long as you’d like me to hang around.”
Forever.
Oh, holy crap, she was already off the deep end. Just because he was sexy and sweet, she’d turned into a pile of melted goo.
“That’s very cool. I’d like to hang out with you some more too.”
They stopped at a stall that sold candied popcorn in rainbow colors that matched the scarlet macaw, and she got a bag that Mercer paid for, promising he’d eat at least half of it if she let him. As they munched on the sweet and crunchy snack, they made their way lazily to the aviary. The popcorn was gone by the time they reached her friends, who were sitting on a bench and waiting for them.
“This is Mercer,” Rhomi said. “These are my friends, Darcy and Reagan.”
“Nice to meet you,” Mercer said. “How was the show?”
“It was so cool,” Darcy said.
“My cousins are going to be so disappointed when they see the pictures I took. They really love the birds here,” Reagan said.
“If you’re ready, we can go meet my friends and get a personal tour from them.”
He turned and walked toward a red barn next to a huge tree, which had a treehouse that looked big enough to function as a real house.
Darcy grabbed Rhomi’s arm. “Holy shit, he’s cute! Did you see him in the security office and that’s why you went in there?”
“No, I just felt like I should go in there.”
“Well done,” Reagan said.
“They let me put in a job application, then Mercer asked if I’d like to go to lunch. He’s amazing, so sweet.”
“You lucky bitch,” Darcy said with a mock huff. “I should have gone in there first.”
“I’m very lucky. I’ve got a date with him too.”
“Ugh, does he have a friend? I need a cutie to buy me lunch and take me out to dinner,” Reagan said.
“You don’t get dibs on cute friends, I do,” Darcy said.
As the two argued about who would date Mercer’s friends first, Rhomi grinned. They caught up to Mercer and she took his hand, loving how easy it was to be with him.
“I do have some single friends,” he whispered.
“If you tell them, you’ll never hear the end of it.”
“Tell us what?” Darcy asked. “Is it about cute friends?”
Rhomi shook her head. “Told ya.”
ChapterSix
Mercer hated walking Rhomi to her friend’s car and saying goodbye. He’d spent a few hours with her and her friends, but it hadn’t been nearly long enough. If he could have thought of a reason to keep her around, he would have used it in a heartbeat. At least he only had a few hours to go before he got to see her again.
He glanced at his phone and the most recent text she’d sent, with her address and a smiley face. The one with the hearts around it.
