Libby: HA! You have no idea. She’s basically always suspicious even when nothing is sketchy. She missed her calling as a detective who bends the rules to get the bad guy. If we don’t have our routine perfected, we won’t stand a chance against her bullshit detector. I swear that woman could break international spies without breaking a sweat.
Reagan: Damn. . . I wish I had a rep like that! She sounds intense and I can’t wait to meet her lol. Are you sure you can’t engage
these
heart-eye-making-skills????
Look
pretty
convincing to me.
A moment later, Reagan sent the picture of them sitting on the bed of her truck in the sun, Libby half-smiling half-dazed while Reagan kissed her. The image brought more than just the memory. It caused a buzzing in her skin where Reagan’s soft lips had pressed against her. Her skin remembered the moment as well as she did.
Libby: Are you making fun of me or are you just jealous of my acting chops??
Reagan: Maybe a little of both. I definitely need to learn to act as well as you.
With her wine-soaked brain swimming just enough to be dangerous, Libby said good night and threw the covers over her head. Unable to stop replaying the last few messages in her mind, she couldn’t help wondering what Reagan meant.
Was she not acting when she kissed me in the picture? Was I?
Unable to resist temptation, she reached for the phone and looked at the photo again. The electricity dancing on her skin was no less powerful than it had been the first time.
C H A P T E R 1 3
STRIDING into her o ce with a bounce in her step she credited to unexpectedly light tra c and a good hair day, Libby smiled. Never before had she assembled such a diverse group of hopefuls looking for love. It would be a new challenge to select possible matches without the limitation of gender, but freeing too.
Libby greeted the hopefuls and encouraged them not to be nervous before she picked up some folders from the reception desk. Jennifer, the first pan client she’d ever matched, already had some excellent prospects and they’d only just started.
Nearly floating as she stopped in on Taylor recording her interview with a hopeful, Libby had the nearly uncontrollable desire to whistle. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done it. The sound was always so irritating when others did it, but now it took active self-control not to give in to the urge.
By the time she pushed open the glass door to her private o ce, she was several bars into Unchained Melody. The music streaming in her head stopped as soon as she saw what was waiting for her on her desk: a bouquet of bright blue irises sitting in a very familiar ceramic pitcher. Her stomach
fluttered and her skin warmed as soon as she registered where she’d seen it. One of Reagan’s first creations.
Libby ran her fingertip over the minor imperfection on the rim before reaching for the phone in her bag and opening her texts. She didn’t need a note to know who they were from.
Libby: Thank you so much for these flowers and the vase.
They’re beautiful. And it’s not even my birthday!
Reagan: Since I don’t actually know when you were born, I suppose they could either be belated or anticipatory lol. They were more of a thank you for coming out to the studio the other day and being so sweet to my students. Freddie has sketched out a few di erent ideas for his next sculpture. He said since you liked his dog so much, he’s going to make you a big blue one standing on two legs balancing a ball on his nose. To hell with the likelihood of it blowing up in the kiln lol.
Libby: I’m the one who should be sending you thank you flowers! I can’t wait to see what Freddie creates. Tell him I’ll love it no matter what his muse devises. ;)
Staring at the winky face emoji, Libby instantly regretted her choice. She was not the kind of person who sent winks all willy-nilly.
Reagan: I wish that took the pressure o of him, but the man is determined to outdo Rodin!
Grateful that she let the mortifying wink go without comment, Libby released the breath she’d been holding before texting her reply.
Libby: Well, I’ll be very honored to display his magnum opus.
Reagan: You know. . . I really should know when your birthday is and how did we celebrate last year?? There are so many holes left unfilled. . .
Libby: And how do you propose we fill them?