Chapter 18

 

Ava

 

 

I WAS WASHING my hands when Peyton walked out of one of the other stalls. Seeing me, she smiled and turned on the faucet.

“You and Hollywood seem to be hitting it off really well,” she said, trying to be friendly.

“Yeah.” I forced a smile to my face. I couldn’t let my true feelings for the woman get in the way. It wasn’t going to help my cause. I needed her to like me so we could become chummy. “He seems really nice. All of them do.”

“They all have their moments, let me tell you,” she said wryly.

“I bet. So, you and Tarot are together, huh?”

She turned off the water and pulled at the paper towels. “Yeah, he’s so sweet.”

“Sweet?” I laughed.

Peyton chuckled. “I know he looks like a real badass. The first time we met, he scared the hell out of me, to be honest. But, he’s seriously one of the nicest men I’ve ever met.”

“No offense, but you seem like such complete opposites,” I replied, staring at her. Peyton wasn’t like the other women I’d seen hanging around the guys in the bar. She wore slacks and a classy top while most of the others were dressed like me.

“I know. I guess opposites really do attract,” she replied, smiling at me through the mirror.

“How did you two meet, anyway?”

“I used to work for this real estate company and he was looking to buy a house,” Peyton replied, tossing the paper towel into the garbage. She turned back toward the mirror and began fussing with her hair. “I ended up showing him a couple of homes and we just kind of hit it off from there.”

“So, you’re a realtor?”

“I am. Back then, though, I was just an administrative assistant. I received my realtor’s license a couple months ago, however. So now I’m doing it part-time.”

Peyton explained that she’d quit the company she’d been working for to become a fulltime writer, but it hadn’t been paying the bills. “So, now I’m back in the real estate world, only this time I’m enjoying it so much more because I’m working for myself. My last boss was such an asshole.”

“Good for you.” I turned the conversation back to Tarot. “So, when’s the wedding?”

Her eyes sparkled as she stared down at the ring on her finger. “We haven’t set a date yet, although we were talking about having a winter wedding. I thought it would be really romantic to drive up to the North Shore and get married.”

“Where’s that?”

“Just past Duluth. It’s gorgeous there. You should take a trip sometime.”

I nodded. “Maybe I will.”

 “Are you sticking around? They’re going to be doing karaoke soon. The guys love doing it.”

I snorted. “Really?”

She chuckled. “Yeah. Especially Len. He has a surprisingly good voice. Reminds me of Joe Cocker.”

“It sounds fun, but I was about to head out,” I replied. “Anyway, it was nice meeting you.”

“Same here.”

An idea came to me. “You know, I might be in the market for a new house. Can I call you?”

Her face lit up. “Yes, definitely. Let me get you my number.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a business card. “Call me when you’re ready. I’d love to help you find something.”

“I like it here. I’ll probably be getting in touch soon and take you up on that offer. Just don’t tell Jayce. If I do move out here, I want it to be a surprise.”

She winked. “Don’t worry. I won’t say a word.”

I grinned.