“I…”
The waiter returns to process the check, and Morgan reluctantly releases me.
“I need to use the restroom,” I stammer to both of them. It’s true—I drank a lot of wine.
“I’ll meet you up front,” Morgans says with a nod, and the waiter leads me back across the ledge to the rest of the establishment. I hardly worry about the lack of railing because I already feel like I’m falling.
The extravagance of the bathroom is a blur as I duck into a stall and pull out my phone. It doesn’t matter how bad I have to pee, I’m texting Eileen first.
WE ARE ON A DATE, I REPEAT, WE ARE ON A DATE
Eileen responds within seconds.
HOLY SHIT FUCK YEAH
Me: What do I do??
Eileen: Don’t fuck it up??
Me: VERY HELPFUL THANK YOU
Eileen: How drunk are you?
Me: Uh. Very?
Eileen: Good, keep it up. You’ve got this. Don’t overthink it.
Me: HAVE YOU MET ME
Eileen: JUST KEEP DRINKING
And let me know if you need ANYTHING
Me: I need a personality transplant and the luck of a lottery winner
Eileen sends a kiss emoji and reiterates that I should keep her posted. Then tells me I shouldn’t keep Morgan waiting. I almost leave the stall before I realize I forgot to pee.
As I wash my hands, reality starts to settle in.
This is happening. This isreallyhappening.
Chapter 32
MORGAN
Under any other circumstances, Jamie’s epiphany would be enough for me to head straight back to the hotel and start making calls. To message Gia and run the idea by her, at minimum.
But Jamie remains… distracting. The epiphany can wait. To be entirely honest, I was only half-listening anyway, wondering how someone can be so brilliant and yet so… dumb.
And equally wondering how I can find that so charming.
Jamie meets me at the front of the restaurant, flustered as ever. God, I love seeing him like that: the pink in his cheeks under his freckles, the flutter of his pulse in his neck, the loose strands of hair that go un-tamed.
I lead him outside to the waiting black car, and as we climb in, he’s quiet.
With the windows down and the moonroof open, I enjoy watching the breeze ruffle his copper hair, dragging at the strands along his neck where I want my tongue to be.
The car slows to a stop, and he finally turns towards me.
