“So,” she says after a moment. “You said you know Barcelona pretty well. Have you been here before?”
“Once. For work.” Not technically a lie. “It’s a good city.”
“What kind of work?”
Danger zone. Redirect.
“Nothing interesting,” I say. “What about you? You said you’re an event planner. How’d you get into that?”
She makes this little sound—half laugh, half sigh. “Honestly? I kind of fell into it. I’ve done a lot of things—retail, restaurant work, tried being a receptionist for about five minutes before I got so bored I thought I’d lose my mind. But event planning…” She pauses, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m good at details. Good at making things run smoothly. And I like making people happy, you know?”
“Sounds like you found your thing.”
She plays with the strap of her purse, her eyes on the street below. “Maybe. My sister got engaged last year and asked me to help plan her engagement party. It’s been going so well, and I enjoyed helping her. So I thought, why not?” She shrugs. “I started Ever After Events, and now I’m just trying to figure out if I can actually make a living at this.”
“Her wedding’s the big test?”
“Exactly. I figure if I can pull off a destination wedding for my sister without major disasters, maybe it’s feasible. And if I mess up…” She trails off. “Let’s just say the pressure is on.”
I can’t help it. I give her a little nudge with my elbow. “You won’t mess it up.”
She glances up, those eyes catching mine, all bright and beautiful. “You don’t know that. You’ve known me for, like, an hour.”
“An hour in which you’ve shown remarkable problem-solving skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure?—”
“I literally ran screaming after a cruise ship.”
“—which shows dedication and commitment.”
She laughs, and I find myself smiling. I could get used to this.
We turn another corner, and the buildings open up slightly. Modern glass-fronted shops appear between the older structures—a jarring contrast of centuries. The sidewalk hereis crowded with café tables, their striped umbrellas casting shadows across the pavement. The smell of coffee hits me first, rich and dark, followed by something savory—grilled seafood, garlic, olive oil.
“So where are you from?” Chloe asks.
“I was born in North Dakota.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Really? That’s so…flat.”
“Very flat. And very cold. The winters are enough to make anyone wonder who thought it was a good idea to live there.”
“But you don’t live there anymore?”
“No. My parents moved away when I was in middle school.” When my world started falling apart. “But you know, I like to think those early years shaped me. Even in my job now, I—” I cut off abruptly, wincing.
“Ah, the mysterious work you won’t tell me about,” she muses over her shoulder.
“It’s really not that interesting.”
“See, now I’m convinced you’re a spy.”
“If I were a spy, would I tell you?”
“That’s exactly what a spy would say,” she says with mock suspicion.
“Well great, you caught me.” I toss up my hands. “Now I gotta kidnap you.”
“What?”
