“Doesn’t look like awe met that nightphoto to me.” Her eyes raise and meet mine.
“Well, that’s what it was. I got turned around and bumped into him by the cathedral in Munich. He helped me find my hostel.”
“And you took a selfie.”
“And we took a selfie.”
“And you’re showing me this now, why?”
“That’s Greyson. Coach G. Ace.”
Avery stares at the photo. “Wait. What?!”
I let the truth bomb sink in. “Yep.”
“Coach G—aka hot coach—is this guy? And you met him in Germany on your gap year? And now you work with him at the station?”
“Pretty much.”
“Oh. My. Goodness!”
“Shhhh.”
“Right. Right.” She shifts her voice to a whisper. “Oh. My. Goodness. Hallie!”
“I know.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“What are you doing about it? Look at the two of you. There’s so much chemistry flying out of this photo … This photo you never showed me until tonight.” She purses her lips and looks up at me through her lashes. “This photo with his arm so casually and comfortably around your shoulders. There’s so much chemistry the paper could spontaneously combust.”
“Ha,” I say, my cheeks heating.
“So you never kissed him?” She holds my gaze.
“Not the point.”
“Oh my gosh!” her voice is loud again.
“Wake my daughter and you get to stay here putting her back to sleep and you get to come deal with her in her whiny state before her first game.”
“Sorry. Sorry.” Her voice resumes whisper softness. “You kissed him!”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Exactly what was it like?”
“Like two people who randomly met for one night in Europe.”
“And kissed.”
“Can we drop the kissing discussion. It really was …”so much more.
“And you kept this photo all these years.” Her eyes are dreamy.
“I did. The night was …”memorable…like nothing I’ve ever felt before or since.
