Six years ago to Gage when he asked me to marry him and last night, I said it again on the phone to Preston when he suggested we meet for a drink after work today.
The pout on Tilly’s face said it all.
She was not impressed with my decision to forgo her advice in favor of Olivia’s.
I don’t know if there’s a future for Preston and me. I do know that Gage is part of my past and right now, I need to keep him there.
A knock at my office door draws my gaze up.
“Come in,” I call out softly.
I know Natalie is on the other side. She locked up just now as I was changing into a black, sleeveless dress and matching heels.
I piled my hair on top of my head in a messy bun and fixed my make up, finishing up with a ruby red lip.
“Holy hell,” Natalie says as she opens the door. “You look incredible, Kate.”
I do a quick spin on my heel to give her the full view of my dress. “You like?”
“I love.” She laughs. “I take it you have a hot date?”
“It’s just a drink.” I drop my lipstick in the black clutch purse on my desk. “I’m meeting him in twenty minutes.”
“Gage?” she asks tentatively. “I’m all for showing an ex what he’s missing, but this takes it to an entirely new level.”
I take the compliment with a smile. “No, not him. It’s someone else.”
She scratches the back of her neck. “He’s a lucky man.”
Preston called himself the same when I agreed to meet him tonight. He’s uncomplicated and our time together has been drama free. He’s just what I need right now as I sort through whether or not I should drag myself through the muddy past I share with Gage.
You’ll stumble if you keep looking at what’s behind you.
The words my mom said to me before I left California to move to New York echo through me.
Preston is right in front of me, and he deserves my full attention tonight.
“Will I see you in the morning?” Natalie asks with a wink. “I have it covered if your date turns into a sleepover.”
I point at the watch on my wrist. “I’ll be here before ten.”
“Don’t rush on my account.” She laughs. “I’m heading home to see the hubs. I hope you have as much fun tonight as I plan on having.”
Holding in a giggle, I shake my head. “It’s just a drink, Nat.”
“Famous last words,” she quips. “You never know what awaits outside this boutique.”
***
Twenty minutes later, I’m locking the boutique’s door when someone grabs my shoulder. The self-defense training my dad gave me before I left California kicks into high gear.
I turn quickly and jab my thumb into the eye socket of the person holding onto me.
“Christ, Katie.” Gage’s hand darts to his eye. “What the hell was that for?”
I bite back a giggle as I take in the sight of my ex-fiancé flinching in pain. “I thought you were trying to mug me.”
“Seriously?” He shakes his head, his open eye raking me from head-to-toe.