“Yeah.” Avery took a couple of deep breaths and leaned back against the doorframe. “I thought you were in New York.”
“Just got back.” He settled against the opposite side of the door frame. “I saw Sam yesterday. He felt good enough to beat me at chess and backgammon. But Nate’s emotionally fried, so I burned some frequent flyer points and got Lily a ticket to New York tomorrow for Memorial Day weekend. He needs her.”
“Thank you. I talked to her last night, and she misses him. She hasn’t seen Nate since she dropped the Coopers off at the jet you chartered. They’ve been so scared and stressed. How are you doing?” Avery asked, reaching across the doorway to squeeze his arm.
A buzz jolted through him, and he could have sworn she felt it too, because her eyes jumped to her hand on his sweater. They were standing so close, he could smell that mysterious flower perfume of hers.
“I’m worried about them all, but especially Nate,” he sighed. “He’s shouldering too much. He’ll be okay, but it’s hard to see your friends struggle. And I’m realizing how much he worried about me while my mom was sick. I want to fix everything for him, and I can’t.”
“He knows you’re there for him and I’m sure that’s a great comfort.” Avery tilted her head and smiled. “I’ll drive Lily to the airport. I can stop at Marden’s on the way back and tackle everyone’s list.”
He thought for a second about offering to come with her. Maybe she had softened after hearing how much she had meant to him. But they weren’t ready to spend a day running errands together yet.
“Listen, I want to apologize,” he said. “I had no right to tell you who to date. Paulson gets under my skin. He’s everything I hated about my time at Yale and in New York, wrapped up in one human.”
Miles ran his hand down his face. “It’s not my place to make demands on you. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” Avery nodded.
He cocked his head toward the front desk. “I brought an apology gift from the Big Apple.”
She walked to the desk, examined the white bag with red letters, and smirked. “You brought me an apology gift … from CVS?”
“Yeah.” He rested a shoulder against the doorframe. “I’ve got a three-foot-long receipt to prove it.”
“CVS has this thing called an app.” She winked. “You load it on your phone, and it magically sends you digital receipts.”
Seeing Avery’s playful side felt like a big shift. Maybe spilling his guts the other day hadn’t beensuch a bad thing. Miles struggled to keep from grinning. Her eyes sparkled when she flirted. It took everything in him to stay firmly planted in the doorframe and act naturally.
“I’ll have to look into this, what did you call it? An app?”
“It saves paper, Mr. Carbon Footprint.”
“An ironic sentiment, coming from the girl who made a fortune selling paper.”
Avery giggled and Miles knew he was on the brink hearing that laugh he loved.
“When I play rock-paper-scissors, I always choose paper,” she said.
“Then we will end in a tie. I choose paper to honor the industry of my home state,” he said. He couldn’t help but marvel at the silly things they had in common. “Down East, we play rock-paper-chainsaw, because … lumberjacks.”
“Ooh, an added level of danger.”
He thought about replying he liked a little danger, but she reached into the bag and pulled out the case of lip balm. Her deep, honest, belly laugh filled the room. Miles’s heart jumped at the realization that all he wanted for the rest of their lives was to be the person who made her eyes sparkle like they were now.
“I think of you every time I’m at a CVS checkout,” he said. “There’s always a case of them by the register.”
He lifted his arm above his head and leaned a forearm against the side of the door frame, resting his hand on the top edge. Anna Catherine had made him practice this pose earlier in the week, calling itswoon worthybecause it conveyed his interest while lengthening his body.She’d proclaimedthe door jamb leana rom-com hero signature pose. Miles found it unnatural, and wildly uncomfortable, but he wasn’t about to throw away its potential for magic.
“After Casper, I figured you needed backups,” he said. “You used to lose lip balms all the time. And hair ties.”
“Thank you.” Avery pulled out a tube, opened it, ran the balm over her lips, and broke into a satisfied smile. “I don’t care if it’s from CVS. This is the most thoughtful gift you could’ve brought me.”
“I’m glad you like it,” he said. As he held her stare, a warmth filled him. Finally, a relaxed moment. It felt welcome, almost perfect. He would’ve asked anyone else to go get coffee in hopes it turned into a date, but he needed to take this slowly, even though it seemed like Avery might say yes. Maybe the door jamb lean worked.
He shifted in the doorframe, and cool air hit his abdomen. Seriously, his arm might fall asleep up there.
She leaned against the desk and playfully pointed a finger at him. “I can’t believe you, with all of your model girlfriends, were jealous.”
