“You don’t have to pretend my red flags are orange to protect my feelings.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m definitely still judging you for lying about loving someone to get a reference from their dad.”
“I’m making a terrible first impression,” he said.
“Me too.”
A gust of wind blew across the rooftop. Ari buttoned up the blazer he’d given her to try and warm herself up. It smelled like fresh laundry and firewood, homey. Drew’s secrets were flags too bright to ignore. But he was attractive. She liked talking to him, and the look in his eyes made her want to lean a little closer.
“We should trademark this and put it on a set of cards,” she joked. “Worst Foot Forward.The game to play to ensure youneverfall in love with someone.”
“So, what I’m hearing is that if I hadn’t told you my secrets, you would have fallen in love with me, Ari?” His mouth curved up into an expression that made her feel like the two of them were in on a secret. It was dangerously alluring, so she shook her head and used all her strength to hold his gaze, instead of melting under it.
“It’s not me who’s in trouble, babe.”
“Yet I can feel you getting lost in my eyes,” he said. She hated that he was right.
“Well, it’s a good thing we both already know that this would never work out.”
“Why?” There was a gleam in his eyes.
She bit the inside of her mouth and tried to remember her reasons.
“Well, we both have complicated exes.”
“And you could never just be a rebound.” His voice was low, and flirty, as if speaking like this came naturally to him. Ari saw right through it, but was having too much fun not to play along.
“More importantly, you don’t sound like you live in London.”
He nodded. “I fly back to the States next week. But there are five days before then.”
She shook her head and tried not to get pulled in.
“Even if youwerestaying, as of an hour ago I’ve officially sworn off men. At least until the spring.”
“But if we saw each other again in April and all those reasons disappeared…” he said, raising an eyebrow.
“It still wouldn’t work out. In fact, I can already predict the breakup.”
He leaned closer and looked her in the eyes. “How would it end?”
60! 59! 58!came the distant sound of a shouted countdown.
“Well, you would try to sweep me off my feet, but I know I wouldn’t let you.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I don’t trust charming men,” she said simply. “You could be the perfect guy, and I’d still hold you at a distance.”
He looked away for a moment, as if trying to find his own reasons.
“If we were together, I think you’d eventually get frustrated by me,” he said.
“Why?”
47! 46! 45!
“Because I’d rather become distant than risk hurting your feelings, which kind of makes me a coward,” he admitted, looking into her eyes.
