She’s right. I don’t plan to ever date seriously again. One-night stands? Sure. I’ll have those to scratch my itches. But full-on dating? No, thank you. I’ll pass.
Besides, I have bigger fish to fry, like making sure my business doesn’t go kaput and that I don’t go completely broke in the meantime.
I shrug, not a bit bothered by it.
Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.
If I weren’t bothered by it, I wouldn’t have been disappointed yesterday when Noah didn’t kiss me. It was silly to think he was going to. I know that. And it was even more foolish to let myselfwantit.
Ugh, Noah.
Just thinking about him has my cheeks heating.
“Nice panties, Odie.”
His parting words stayed with me all night long and were the first thing I thought about this morning.
It wasn’t justwhathe said. It washowhe said it. Like he’d been looking at them, and I don’t mean a passing glance. I meanlookinglooking.
And I’m still not sure how I feel about that.
I do know that I’m nervous about spending time with Noah, and that’s never happened before.
What if ... what if I wasn’t imagining things in the kitchen? What if he truly was about to kiss me?
No, no. Stop it, Odette. Stop getting your hopes up. You aren’t a sixteen-year-old girl with a crush anymore. You’re an adult. He wasn’t trying to kiss you.
Right. It was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“You’re still a secret romantic like the rest of us. You wouldn’t be planning all these weddings if you weren’t,” Aunt Krista says.
They all nod, agreeing with her.
“Am not.”
“Whatever you say, dear.” She takes a sip of her drink and flags down our server. “Another round of mimosas, Uli!”
“Coming right up, Ms. Krista.”
I swear she blushes.
Maybe she’s right. Maybe I am a secret romantic. I wouldn’t be so in love with weddings if I weren’t, right?
“You’re too young to swear off love, little one,” Nonna says from across the table like she can read my mind.
Little one,her name for me because I’m the youngest child of her youngest daughter.
“I’m not swearing off love,” I lie to her.
“Hmm.”
There’s so much disapproval in one sound that it has me sitting up straighter, raising my chin. “I’m just ... I’m focusing on my business,that’s all. Now I just need one of you to find love so I can plan more weddings and generate more buzz for Chambers Charming Ceremonies. So, chop-chop!”
“Isn’t that what Izzy’s wedding is for? How’s that coming, by the way?” Lucille asks.
She’s right. That is what Izzy’s wedding is for, and—not to get ahead of myself—I think it might be working. I’ve already received four emails from potential clients just since last week. Sure, they’ve all put stipulations along the lines of “we’ll see how Izzy’s wedding goes,” but it’s stillsomething. A step in the right direction.
I hope.
