His kiss as he carried her over the threshold.
The remodel debate. Laughing at their very different tastes. She was minimalistic but elegant. Xander was maximalist and gaudy. He’d spent too many summers at his grandmother’s Newport cottage—a mansion filled with decades of inherited heirlooms. The giant chandelier now hanging from the vaulted ceiling was exhibit A. Seriously, if it fell for any reason, she’d have to redo half the downstairs.
She’d forgotten those moments until she began living here, and it made her wound fresh again.
Harlow put away her purchases, then carried the Jane Fonda–approved workout clothes upstairs, where she folded them neatly into her dresser drawer.
Harlow Hayes had already picked out an exercise getup—a pair of old sweats she’d cut into jogging shorts, with an oversized T-shirt from Jinx’s ex-boyfriend. She cut the collar and sleevesFlashdancestyle and planned to start jogging in the morning. Which morning remained to be seen.
Maybe if she dressed for exercise, she’d actually exercise. Harlow exchanged her sundress for the sweats and T-shirt, then tied on her new Adidas. Back in the kitchen, she retrieved the salad she’d been munching on for two days—in exchange for eating a whole Tony’s pizza Monday night and going to the Blue Plate yesterday. One of these days, she was going to weigh herself on the big green scale at Biggs. Promise.
Plopping on the sofa, she reached for the VCR remote. The familiar theme ofAll My Childrenplayed as she stabbed at her wilted salad.
Things were heating up in Pine Valley. Julie just discovered she was given up for adoption because her mother was a prostitute. Cue dramatic music!
A soft knock interrupted the opening scene of Erica Kane in one of her scheming dialogues, with her classic narrowed gaze and curled lip.
“HH, it’s me, Matt.”
“Matt Who?”Girl,come on.You know who.She set aside her salad with one eye on the television. What did Erica Kane just say?
“Matt Knight.”
“Oh, hey.”You fool no one,H. “W-what are you doing here?”
“I wondered if you wanted to grab a bite at the Blue Plate Diner.”
The Blue Plate?Matt, what are you doing to me?
“Now?” She checked her reflection in the gilded mirror next to the door. Well, the sweats and cut up T-shirt were a step up from her pizza-stained dress. Her ponytail was cuter than hat head.
“Yes now. It’s lunchtime. Are you going to open up or just keep talking through the door?”
“I, um, just ... ” Why was she nervous? “...came in from a jog.”No,you didn’t.“Give me a sec.”You are certifiable.Grabbing her deflated salad, she ran to the kitchen, tossed it in the trash, then for some unknown reason, splashed her face, her shirt, and her hair with water. Ridiculous, meet stupid. “Matt, why don’t I just meet you there? Give me fifteen?”
“I can wait. I’m curious to see what you did with this place.” He knocked again. “I thought we’d walk over together. Harlow?”
Somewhere between splashing her face and hair, she heard herself call out, “Come on in,” as if they were back on the set ofTalk to Me Sweetly, running in and out of each other’s trailers between takes.
The door opened, and Matt strolled in, wearing jeans, a white pullover, and a pair of Pumas.
Not going to lie, she swooned a little.
Matt smiled. “How was yourjog?”
“Cut the pretense. You know I didn’t go.”
“But you were planning to?”
“Yes. No. Maybe. One day.” She pointed to the stairs. “Give me fifteen.”
She showered, again, for nofreakingreason other than to continue the charade, toweled off, slipped into a sundress and sneakers, braided her hair, mascaraed her eyelashes, then finished it off with a swipe of pink lip gloss.
Matt stood when she came down, his gaze resting on her longer than she deserved. “You clean up nice.”
The vibe between them was deliciousanddisrupting, like being on a first date. Not that she’d had many first dates, but it only took one or two to understand the zingy-yet-nervous undercurrent.
However, anything reeking of romance was not an option. Not after Xander. Besides, Matt was just being nice. It was who he was, despite his bad-boy rep.
