“Okay,” Violet said, but she still didn’t understand.
She stood up and nearly tripped. Because there he was, walking down the street, next to Eli. They were talking, and Eli was gesturing to the buildings, as if he was explaining something.
Clara’s gaze followed hers.
“What are you looking at? Eli Garrett?”
“No,” she said. “It’s just... That’s his cousin that he’s with. My... He’s one of my guests.”
“Oh,” she said. “Oh. He’s... He’sattractive.”
“It’snotthat,” Violet said.
“Would it be so wrong if it was?”
“He’s not from here. He’s ridiculously handsome. He’s older than me.”
“All things my husband is.”
“Well,” Violet said. “I’m not in the market for a husband, and even if I was, he does not have husband material written all over him.”
“But does he havegood timewritten on him?”
“Clara,” Violet said. “Are you advocating that I... I...?”
“I am advocating for you to have a little bit of fun.”
“Says the woman who has never kissed a man other than her husband. I know too much about you.”
“Hey,” Clara said, loftily. “I went on a date with Asher.”
“Youdid?”
“Did I not tell you about the terrible date I had with him before Alex and I...well, before Alex gave me my first kiss?”
“See? It was a date with no kiss. Your only kiss is your husband, which was my point.”
“While I am limited in variety,” Clara said, “had I not reconnected with Alex when I did, I think I might’ve enjoyed a fling or two.”
“You would not,” Violet said. “You didn’t kiss Asher even though you went on a date with him, so what makes you think you would have wanted to make out with other random guys?”
Clara grumbled, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. “Fine. No, I wouldn’t have. But whatever.”
“I don’t know that I’m a fling sort of person,” Violet said, still staring at Wolf.
He was making her consider it.
You couldn’t ride a roller coaster forever, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t fun.
Fun didn’t need to be forever.
“You won’t know unless you try,” Clara said.
Violet narrowed her eyes. “It seems a good dangerous thing to try out.”
“But youcould,” Clara said. “Because you’re a grown woman, and you don’t need anyone’s permission to do anything. And you are not going to disappoint anyone.”
“He’s a guest,” Violet said. “On top of not knowing if he’s interested... I can’t just like show up at his door and try to proposition him. It would be unprofessional.”