“Ah, Nora. You’re here,” Dad answered, his whole face brightening. “I hope we didn’t bother you by moving the furniture around. Is your book club meeting over? Did you bring some of your delicious red velvet cake?”
Her book club meeting? Her delicious red velvet cake?
Dad lowered his voice. “I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
I blinked. Oh Lord, what was happening here?
Nora lifted a bag she’d been keeping behind her back. “I’m glad to hear that.” She smiled before turning to look at me. “I didn’t know you had company, Joseph. Is this your daughter?”
“I told you to call me Joe,” he corrected her with a wink. A wink that had me doing a double take. “And yes, this is her. Rosie is an engineer. Works at a fancy company in Manhattan, remember I was telling you about that yesterday?”
Guilt sliced through my chest at my dad’s words. “That’s me.” I swallowed. “Hi, Nora, it’s nice to meet you.”
She smiled at me over the bag. “Your dad is very proud of you, honey. He told me all about that well-deserved promotion.”
I felt my blood drain from my face, but I gave her a nod.
Nora’s gaze slid to my dad. “She has those beautiful green eyes of yours, Joseph.” She chuckled. “I sure hope she’s not as stubborn as you are, though. Because those are some genes you don’t want to pass on.”
“Joe,” Dad corrected her. And without turning to me, he added, “Did you hear that, Rosie? Beautiful eyes.”
I searched Dad’s face, then Nora’s. They were both grinning. Dad at her, and Nora at the bag that contained thatdelicious red velvet cake he had been thinking about all day.
My phone buzzed in my hands, snatching my attention from the flirtation-fest happening right in front of me.
Lucas:How’s the home project? Your dad’s hip okay?
I bit my lip just so I wouldn’t smile at the screen. At his name. At his words.
And just like that, memories of our first and only experimental date toppled down my mind, making me feel all kinds of breathless.
It had been goofy, fun, sweet, and cheesy in the best possible way. As much as I teased Lucas, the truth was that Ilovedcheesy, and he had surpassed any expectations I’d had for our experiment.Every single thing about it—about him—had been a romance writer’s dream come true.A woman’s dream come true. Even thinking of that rodent running around the apartment didn’t make my skin crawl anymore. Instead, I thought of my legs around Lucas’s hips as he carried me to safety. Of his solid and warm body under mine. Of the intensity burning in his brown eyes as he’d looked at me when we danced.
It all had been in the name of research. Experimental flirting. Experimental dancing. Experimental… wowing.
But this wasn’t. The care he took in checking up on me and Dad—as Lucas, my roommate and friend, not Lucas from Date Night—wasn’t experimental. It was real. And that… was hard to ignore.
Rosie:He’s okay. He’s busy flirting with his neighbor. In front of me.
Lucas:Go Mr. Graham!
Rosie:Don’t encourage this kind of behavior.
Lucas:Why not? Flirting is healthy for the soul.
Rosie:He’s my dad And they are watching each other with googly eyes right here.
Lucas:He still deserves to eat, you know.
Rosie:EW LUCAS. NO.
Lucas:Fine but you’re a romance writer. You should encourage this. Maybe even give him tips.
Lucas:How far do you think the flirting has gone? Do you think they’d had a little pow-pow fun?
Pow-powwhat? Jesus Christ.
Rosie:okay gossip girl, let me stop you right here.