“I, uh—” I stand up abruptly, nearly knocking over my beer. “I just remembered I need to check something in the mailroom. I think I was supposed to get a package today,” I lie. Well, it’s not technically a lie … Ididget a mail notification.
Parker raises an eyebrow. “In the middle of our game?”
“It’ll just take a second,” I say, already backing toward the door. “Go ahead and play my turn if it comes up. I trust you not to bankrupt me completely.” I force a laugh.
“We all know that’s a lie,” John calls after me as I slip out the door.
The hallway is empty, thank goodness. I take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator, my footsteps echoing in the stairwell as I practically bound down to the ground floor. I’m being ridiculous—I know this. It’s just a card. But the anticipation of seeing what Brittany wrote has me acting like I’m sixteen again, waiting for a text from my first crush.
Parker would absolutely lose his mind if he knew.
The mailroom is mercifully empty when I push through the door. I fumble with my keys, dropping them once before managing to get my mailbox open. And there it is—the card-sized envelope, right on top. I tear it open, revealing a postcard. Immediately, I smirk at the hand-painted alligator sitting on a lounge chair, sipping a drink.
“Where the heck did you get this?” I laugh out loud, flipping it over to the reverse side.
Wes,
As it turns out, I decided to fly myself (using the cape you provided, of course) to Florida for a girl’s trip. I can confidently say that the ability to fly would be my preferred superpower. So far, I would say that Florida has been completely uneventful. However, I found this super cool postcard to send you. I knew the moment I saw it, you’d probably laugh. Well, at least I hope you do. How embarrassing of me to assume you will!
Anyway, I hope Polly is treating you well.
Enjoy being the third wheel.
Brittany
P.S. I have more to share, but not enough room!
I chuckle at the message, feeling warmth spread through my chest. It’s amazing how something so simple and small can change the entire evening. I carefully tuck the postcard back into the envelope and stick it in the middle of the stack of bills.
Grinning like a buffoon, I ride the elevator back up to my floor, and as soon as I enter my apartment, both AmyandParker look up at me.
“What’s got you all excited?” Parker asks, his brows rising. “You look like you just won a million dollars. Is that why you had to go get the mail?”
I laugh, brushing him off. “I guess if a discount on my insurance bill is what you would deem the equivalent, then yes. That’s exactly what happened.”
“Hmm…” Amy stares at me a little harder, and I feel my face grow hot. “You just entered this place with so much energy.”
“He did, didn’t he?” Parker turns to her, still mulling it over.
“Just gotta pee,” I lie, then duck away from them. I head straight for my room, pretending like I’m on a mission to put my bills up and use the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and let out a large, obnoxious breath of relief. I don’t know what it is about Brittany’s letters that always get me acting like a giddy school kid.
Maybe it’s because she’s the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.
And so sweet.
And funny.
I shake it off, reaching under my bed and pulling out a shoebox. I drop the postcard in there with her other letters, trying not to make a big deal over it. At the time, it felt like designating a box to her letters was overkill—I didn’t know how long it would last. But now?
Now, I’m pretty sure we have a good thing going.
And I don’t want it to stop.
Chapter Eighteen
Brittany
“So you had a good time, right?” Harlee slides into the seat across from me. “We haven’t talked that much since we got back to New York.” There’s a concerned expression on her face, and instantly, I feel guilty.
