AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nodded proudly. “I knew you’d want to see pictures, so I brought a photo of each one. Just kidding,” I added hastily when I saw his shoulders droop. “Just top forty.”
After torturing my dad with fish pics, I went home to finish the last of my pitch. I knew the idea was good, and the execution was even better.
When the package was complete, I sent it off to Melvin as a zip file, which I followed with a text. I reminded myself to overplay, not underplay the accomplishment.Check your email. This account is as good as ours.
Then I snuggled into bed, yelled good night to my fish, and fell into a happy, dreamless sleep.
When I woke the next morning, I checked my message for feedback from Melvin. I knew he would love it, but there hadn’t been any response. Maybe Melvin had a personal life? Nah.
Then a text from Shane came in, and my heart skipped a beat.What’re you doing today?
Same thing I do every day. Not taking over the world. Just workin’ a job.
Would you have time for a visitor?
I sat upright.Today? You?
Yeah. I felt Denver calling, so I thought I’d come and we could hang out for the day. Can you take the day off?
Excitement rushed through me. I thought about how hard I’d been working to get everything ready. The pitch was now in Melvin’s hands for review, so my part was done, for now. There wasn’t anything I’d rather do than spend the day with Shane.Yep, consider my schedule open.
Great. I’ll come by and get you at noon.
I threw the phone down on the bed and ran to the coffee maker. I started a cup, yelled good morning to Hopper, then hurried to the shower. That gave me just a few hours to get super cute before an unexpected date.
Chapter 12
When Shane knocked on my door a few hours later, I was ready with flawless eyeliner, a sweater and skirt, and wedged boots that brought my head just under his chin. I’d left my curls natural but used a diffuser and had put a little cover-up over the freckles on my cheeks to tone them down. When I was done, I’d looked myself over critically and had decided that was as good as it got. The whole time I had gotten ready, my thoughts kept wandering back to why I hadn’t heard anything from Melvin. I was pretty sure he would have looked at the proposal immediately, so why hadn’t he texted? I didn’t want it to spoil the date, though, so I tried to shelve the thoughts until later.
When I opened the door, the look Shane gave me reminded me of the look my dad had given Margaret, and I suddenly felt flushed.
“You take my breath away, Ana,” he said softly.
I touched my hair self-consciously. “Thanks,” I said shyly. Then I noticed movement behind him. I grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, breathing hard.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, alarmed.
“I think I saw Nancy behind you,” I whispered. “I don’t want her to see you.”
“Why not?” he asked, sounding a little offended.
I softened and looked up at him. “Because she’s already told my dad about you, and she mentioned pregnancy—but don’t worry, I clarified that—and he wants to meet you. If he knows you’re here and I didn’t bring you by, he’ll be so annoyed with me.”
Shane raised an eyebrow. “Then why not bring me by?”
I sputtered for a second and thought about how to word my thoughts as diplomatically as possible. “Um, because this is a new thing here, right? We don’t know each other that well, and usually, introducing families happens a bit more organically. Later on. You know?”
He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. “You don’t strike me as a rule follower.”
“I’m not. In fact, my dad was convinced I had oppositional defiant disorder when I was six. If you tell me to do something, I usually do the opposite.”
“So why are you letting cultural norms get in the way of making your dad happy? I’d like to meet him, too.”
Well, he’d backed me into a corner with that one. “But didn’t you say you had made plans already?”
He shook his head. “They’re flexible.”
Well, that left me with little choice. “Okay, I’ll just text him and see if he’s free.”
