Deleted.
Too vague.
Want to come with me to a party Saturday?
Deleted.
Too date-y.
Jesus.
I threw the phone on the table.
Picked it back up.
Typed.
Club party Saturday. Pause. Want to come with me?
Simple. No pressure. Just a question.
I read it three times and then hit send before I could overthink it. The message disappeared, and a tiny Delivered appeared underneath. I stared at the phone, waiting, like an idiot.
Chapter Eleven
Josie
There was absolutely no reason for my heart to stop when my phone buzzed.
I was standing behind the counter at Scoop & Swirl, filling the toppings bar before opening, when I glanced at the screen.
Rome
Just his name was enough to make my stomach flip, which was ridiculous.
I opened the message. Club party Saturday. Want to come with me?
I read it once.
Then twice.
Then a third time because apparently I enjoyed confusing myself.
My first thought was that he sent it to the wrong person. My second thought was that he was being nice. My third thought was that I was an idiot because Rome didn’t seem like the kind of guy who accidentally texted women.
Still... I stared at the message until the screen dimmed.
Then I shoved my phone into my apron pocket.
I wasn’t ignoring him. I was...thinking. There was a difference.
The bell over the door jingled, and I pasted on a smile.
Thinking would have to wait. It didn’t, though.
All day, while I scooped ice cream and rang people up and wiped down tables, my mind kept circling back to the message.
Want to come with me?
