Lorenzo
It was the same stupid dance Vince and Lorenzo used to do when they were kids and tasted whatever damn good cooking their mom had heating on the stove. Just like when they were kids they now stood over the pot on the stove, shoving blissful spoonfuls of Rosie’s chile verde in their mouths, swaying their hips in delight like idiots.
Lorenzo was in the middle of a particularly flagrant hip thrust when he heard the giggling and turned to see Rosie and Olivia watching him. Instantly, he froze, feeling the heat rise up his neck.
“I take it you like it?” Rosie asked with a big smug grin.
Vince, who continued to sway his hips even after seeing the girls, answered for Lorenzo. “This is damn good, baby,” he said with a mouthful then turned to them. “Hey, Olivia.” He finished chewing then kissed Rosie and Ruby when Rosie walked up to him. “Why don’t you make this more often, babe?”
“Because you wouldn’t get as excited if I made it too often,” Rosie said with a playful smile.
“Oh, you’ll always excite me,” Vince murmured against her ear loud enough for Lorenzo and Olivia to hear. “Trust me.”
Vince moved down, nuzzling the side of Rosie’s face then making his way under her chin as she laughed protesting softly. Olivia stopped laughing when Lorenzo’s eyes met hers. For once Lorenzo was glad about how blatant and unabashed Vince could be when mauling his wife. Vince’s extra-long greeting with Rosie gave Lorenzo a moment to try and figure out what it was this girl he knew so little about was beginning to do to him. Why had she invaded his thoughts this entire past week? And why the hell was it so impossible to look away from those eyes. For the first time since he’d begun running into her, he allowed himself to indulge in them for longer than a few panicked seconds.
“Olivia is gonna watch the game with us,” Rosie informed them, pulling away from Vince.
Vince took the baby from her, kissing Ruby’s nose, and turned to Olivia, making a face. “Don’t tell me you’re a Cowboys’ fan.”
Her eyes practically twinkled as she pulled them away from Lorenzo and turned to Vince. “Dallas, baby.” She smiled big. “Born and raised. My siblings and I bleed blue and silver.”
“Technically, I’m a Dallas fan at heart too,” Rosie said, smiling big, “since I’m originally from Texas, but I’ve never been a huge football fan, so when we moved here and Grace married Sal, whose entire family is all about the Chargers, I was easily converted. But Olivia here”—she touched Olivia’s shoulder—“she really is a true fan. She was just telling me about her Dallas Cowboys four-inch pumps before you guys got here.”
Olivia laughed, and just like last week when he’d heard her adorable giggle, her laughter now made Lorenzo breathe in deeper.
“Yep.” She nodded. “My brothers would never let me walk out the door wearing a Cowboys cheerleader costume like I would’ve liked,” she explained, and Lorenzo didn’t even realize he was smiling just as big as she was until she turned to him and he caught himself. “So I had to settle for the shoes instead if I ever wanted to represent when I went out to watch the game at a bar or something.”
“You’d really wear one of those outfits out in public?” Rosie asked.
“Heck ya,” Olivia said without giving it a second thought. “Those uniforms are iconic pieces of history for my hometown, and a little known fact about those cheerleaders is they do a lot of notable charity work all over the world all year long. They’re not just out their shaking their behinds in those short shorts during football season.”
“I wouldn’t let you out of the house in one of those outfits either.” They all turned to Lorenzo at once and eyed him weirdly, so he rushed to add, “If you were my sister, that is.”
Much to Lorenzo’s relief his brother agreed immediately, lessening the sudden strangeness in the room.
“Hell no,” Vince said, kissing Ruby’s little cheek. “Or my daughter. You hear that, Ruby?”
“Speaking of Ruby,” Rosie said, reaching for the baby, “I need to get her in her Chargers outfit in time for ‘Monday Night Football.’”
Vince spun around, pulling Ruby out of Rosie’s reach. “Nope,” he said, hastening out of the kitchen and towards the bedroom. “I think I accidently threw that out. Besides not all us Morenos are Chargers fans. I’ll get you to cross over to the dark side yet. But first, let’s get Ruby into her Raiders gear.”
“You better have not thrown it out,” Rosie said, following him, then turned back to Olivia. “I’ll be right back.”
Olivia smiled at her, but it was obvious she took her time watching them walk all the way out of the room then glanced around the kitchen before bringing her attention to Lorenzo. He leaned against the counter and stared at her without saying anything at first. If it weren’t for Rosie’s comment last week about Olivia possibly still being hung up on her ex, he might actually say fuck it and give into the temptation to just flirt with her. There was no denying it now. He hadn’t been this attracted to anyone in ages. Lorenzo wasn’t even sure if he’d call it an attraction. Whatever it was he was feeling for her, it was only getting stronger every time he saw her, and the fact that he was so helpless to stop it was annoying as shit.
“I haven’t told her I knew you before I started grooming Sal and Grace’s dogs,” she said in a lowered voice. “And I’m not going to.”
Lorenzo stared at her, trying his damnedest not to let on about how that made him feel. Just like everything else he’d felt so far for this girl, it was irrational for him to be annoyed and he didn’t understand it. But this pissed him off.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want her to know,” she said firmly, turning toward the bedroom then back to him. “I sort of, in girl talk, under strictest confidence, told her about the night we had. I just didn’t mention who with. Since I figured your cousin is married to her sister, I thought she might know you in some way, but I had no idea you were her brother-in-law and how close she was to you, until last week. It would just be awkward now, you know? Uncomfortable if anyone else knew now. Have you . . .?” She stopped when Lorenzo shook his head. “Good. Can we please keep it that way?”
Lorenzo nodded, annoyed that just like the last two times he’d run into her he was already over thinking everything. It was still possible that she was seeing someone else now and Rosie just failed to mention that part. Is that why she thought anyone knowing about their night would make things awkward? Somehow her bringing up the night they had together being the first thing she talked about the first chance they got a moment alone, gave him the go ahead to size her up shamelessly from top to bottom. Why not? She’d just reminded him she’d willingly let him do so much more already.
She was hot. There was never any doubt about that, even now as dressed down as she was compared to that night and minus her ‘fuck me’ shoes like the ones she’d worn then and again to the repast. Hearing Rosie mention Olivia’s four-inch heels only heightened the desire he’d begun to feel for having her under him again. She obviously enjoyed being sexy since she’d be all for wearing one of those skimpy cheerleading outfits out. But he’d been with plenty of hot sexy girls before, and he still couldn’t put his finger on what Olivia did to him.
Something stirred deep inside him and, God damn it, in his pants again even as Vince and Rosie reentered the room. Olivia had since looked away from him to smile and gush about Ruby’s adorable outfit. Yet Lorenzo couldn’t take his eyes off of Olivia. Just like that first night with her, he was beginning to feel the insanity again. He even entertained the notion of making up an excuse and getting the hell out of there while he still had the chance to leave with his heart intact. But something even more alarming was happening. The desire to stay and be around her for a few more hours was beginning to drown out the panic and the pressing voice in his head urging him to run.
She says she’s over him, but, c’mon, he was her first everything.
Even the reminder of these words that had worked all week when he’d considered looking her up online and finding out a little more about her didn’t work now. The other part of him, the one getting sucked into the idea of hanging around a while, reasoned this was harmless. He’d just be watching a football game with her. Vince and Rosie would be there the whole time. How could that possibly turn into something disastrous?
“This will be fun,” Rosie said, walking back into the kitchen with Vince and Ruby. “Since you’re such a football fan, we could do this every Monday from here on. Our ‘Monday Night Football’ gatherings just got a little bigger.” She kissed Ruby’s little hand. “And here we thought Ruby was the only new person in our ‘Monday Night Football’ gang this year.” Then his sweet little sister-in-law turned to him. “And did you know you and Olivia are the same age?”
Lorenzo didn’t say anything, but he did glance at Olivia, whose eyes had widened at bit at Rosie’s less-than-subtle comment.
Vince chuckled. “Interesting,” he said, heading toward the front room. “Maybe you two could go grab some beer since I’m all out while Rosie and I set everything up.”
Olivia’s eyes locked on his. From the moment she informed him she wouldn’t be telling Rosie about their night together, she’d appeared cool and confident. Suddenly the panic in her eyes was as clear as he was certain it was in his face too.
~*~
Olivia
It was one evening. One game they’d be watching together. No big deal. If Lorenzo continued to act as indifferently and uninterestedly as he’d been so far, Olivia would just have to figure out a way of getting out of anymore Monday nights at Rose’s. As much as she tried to pretend being around him, knowing he had no further interest in her, wasn’t torture, she knew she couldn’t do this much longer.
Just walking out the door, knowing she’d soon be sitting in his car with him, had her insides going wild.
“So just beer,” Lorenzo asked, stopping at the door and peering back in. “No wine coolers, Rosie?”
“If Olivia’s willing to share, bring me a four pack,” Rosie said then added, “but I’m only having two this time. Olivia, I’ll make you another big plate of chile verde before you leave, in case you’re feeling at all tipsy.”
Olivia smiled, nodding and knowing full well she’d be sipping any alcohol tonight super slowly. Just as she had the night she met Lorenzo. Not only was she a lightweight like Rosie, thanks to Jay, she’d had a couple of horrible experiences with alcohol, so she kept her alcohol consumption to a minimum.
Lorenzo turned to Olivia, the smirk on his face surprising her. “Two wine coolers, huh? Sounds like you’re in for a wild night.”
Refraining from smiling at his obvious teasing, she held her chin up as she made her way to his car. “I’ve never been much of a drinker, so, yes, it goes to my head pretty quickly. I have to take it slowly.”
He nodded as he opened the car door for her. For someone who’d practically sprinted out of her place the night of their romp, acted so coldly at the repast, and hardly said a word last week, he was certainly playing the part of a gentleman tonight.
She sat in his car as he went around to the other side, wondering what else they’d be discussing aside from his teasing her about being a lightweight. He got in, started up the car, and they were off.
“So you’re my age?” he asked, staring straight ahead. “And you already own your own business? Or do you just work for the grooming company?”
“Yes and no,” she said, glancing out the window. “It’ll be all mine once I’m done paying it off. So, technically, it’s not my own business yet. But I don’t work for a grooming company or anyone. That’s all me.” She turned to him curiously because he seemed surprised that at twenty-four she’d have her own business when he did too. “Rose said you have your own business too.”
“I do.” He turned to her as they came to a stop. “Only just recently, like in the last year, I decided to partner up with my brother. But he started it up years ago on his own. How long have you been doing what you’re doing?”
“Couple of years,” she said, immediately getting lost in his eyes.
The conversation they were having seemed perfectly safe—non-romantic or sensual in any way. Yet something in the way he looked at her said otherwise. She gulped, wondering if maybe she’d been wrong about his indifference for her. Maybe he was feeling the same insatiable attraction she’d felt even that night they first met. Olivia did her best to calm her heart, because it could also be something else entirely. He could just be hoping for another round of meaningless sex.
Something she was not interested in ever doing again.
Especially not with someone she knew she could easily fall so hard for already. Someone, who if she wanted to keep her friendship with Rose, and she did, she’d likely be running into now. Often. She didn’t know much about him yet, but she did know the three main things that would have her falling fast.
Rose had called him the total package, not just because he was beyond handsome and career wise he seemed to be set. Though Olivia had yet to see it, Rose assured her he was one of the sweetest and incredibly loyal guys she could ever meet. Add to that what Olivia had experienced for herself already. The incredible way his kisses alone could make her feel and how easily she could become entirely too mesmerized by him.
They were moving again, and it seemed to be the only thing that had him pulling those intense eyes away from hers. She could be wrong. She almost wanted to be wrong. It was starting to scare her that while her mind said “no way” to another night with absolutely no promises, her body would inevitably say “yes.” The more she looked at him, the more she craved his lips on hers.
“That night,” he said, staring straight ahead. “You said you didn’t usually do that.”
“I don’t,” she said immediately and with conviction. “It was the first and only time I’ve ever done something like that.”
“I believe you,” he said, surprising Olivia. “You said you needed to that night. Why was that?”
Olivia stared ahead now too, remembering his utter disinterest that night. He’d stared at her in that profound way but hadn’t asked why. She wondered why he wanted to know now.
“Several reasons,” she said, refusing to look at him. “I’d gotten some . . . unpleasant news that week. I needed to get out, something I hadn’t done in a while.”
“Who do you live with?”
Now she turned to him. Not that his previous questions didn’t also come as a surprise, but this one came totally out of left field. Still his expression remained rigid, and he finally turned to look at her when they came to a stop.
“I saw a photo of you and a guy at your place as I walked out.”
“Any photos at my place are of my siblings and me,” she explained. “I have three brothers and a sister. We all live at that house. I just happened to have the place to myself that weekend. But that doesn’t happen often. That was another reason I decided to do what I did that night.”
He stared at her the same way he’d done so often that night. She could hardly stand it but couldn’t bring herself to turn away, so she didn’t and waited instead for his next question.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, stunning her. “I hope you know that. And before we get back to my brother’s place and I have to continue to pretend I’m not ridiculously attracted to you, I just want you to know that my running out that night the way I did had nothing to do with any lack of attraction or interest in you. Because Jesus”—he shook his head, glancing back at the road, and took a deep breath—“I have no idea how you feel about me, but—”
“I’m ridiculously attracted to you too,” she blurted as her heart pounded erratically.
They came to another stop and he turned to her again. “I hadn’t made any attempts to get in touch with you because I’ve been fighting what I’m feeling for you. Hell, I started fighting it that night.”
“Why?”
He frowned, shaking his head, and then turned back to the road when he started driving again. “The last relationship I had ended badly. Really badly,” he explained. “I was over her almost immediately. I just haven’t had any desire to get into anything serious again.”
She was almost afraid to ask, but she had to know. He could’ve just flirted with her on this trip to the market, which was what she thought might happen—playfully bring up the suggestion of them having another incredible night together. Instead, here he was explaining himself. But she cautioned her already-too-excited heart that this could just be his way of apologizing for not wanting anything more with her. It was beginning to sound like that anyway. So she had to ask before her heart began misinterpreting things.
“So why are you telling me this now?”
They were at a stop again, but he didn’t turn to her this time. Instead, he stared straight ahead, and she watched him so closely she could see his jaw working.
“I think I’ve changed my mind,” he said, making her insides go wild, and he finally turned to her. Instantly, she was caught in those eyes again. “That is, of course, if you’re interested in anything like that with me. We wouldn’t have to jump ahead just because we’ve already done more. We could take it slow.”
His eyes practically pleaded. Olivia would’ve never expected something like this from him this fast, but she was beyond excited, so she smiled.
“I’m stunned,” she said, bringing her hand to her chest. “But a good stunned.”
“I’m terrified,” he admitted, bringing his eyes back to the road.
His vulnerability only made him that much more perfect to Olivia. For weeks, she’d thought him smug and justifiably so. Rose was right. He was more than just the perfect package. So for him to admit this, show her this side of him, the side that was as scared as she felt, had her nearly choked up all of a sudden.
They turned into the supermarket parking lot, and he got out without saying another word. He walked around the car to where she’d already begun to climb out and took her hand. The moment she was standing right in front of him he brought her hand to his chest where she could feel how hard his heart pounded and left it there. Then he brought his hand behind her neck just under her hair and stared deeply into her eyes.
“I don’t know what it is about you,” he whispered as his eyes lowered down to her lips and he licked his own. “I may as well admit it now since I’ve already said too much. It’s insane, but I’m already crazy about you.” He leaned his forehead against hers, still gazing into her eyes, then closed his for a moment. “The only reason I hadn’t given into the temptation to contact you is because I can already feel it. If I do this, I’m falling hard and—”
“It’s exactly what I was thinking, Lorenzo,” she said as her heart rate spiked yet again.
She explained quickly the exact thoughts she’d had about getting out of any more “Monday Night Football” games after today as he stared at her. “I don’t understand it either, but I knew being around you and your being as unresponsive as you’ve been so far would have been torture.”
“But I swear to you the only reason I’ve been this way was because I really didn’t think I’d want to get into anything serious again. At least not for a few years.”
Olivia gulped, wondering if she’d jumped the gun and allowed her heart to get excited for nothing because this was beginning to feel as if he might be going back to apologizing about not wanting anything serious. She needed to slow her heart down before it got ahead of itself. Regardless of how this turned out, she wouldn’t tell him just yet—or probably ever—but it also sounded as if he were saying he’d never felt anything like this.
She wished she could say in all honesty that she hadn’t either, but it was what scared her most. She remembered the power she allowed Jay to have over her for too long, and this felt eerily similar. One look in those eyes and she felt dangerously rapt. It was frightening, and as much as her head reasoned it wasn’t exactly how she once felt about Jay, it was too close.
He leaned his forehead against hers again, closing his eyes. “I can tell myself all I want that I can do it, but I already know I can’t,” he said, and Olivia’s stomach took a nose dive as he pulled away to look her in the eyes. He was apologizing; then he added in a whisper. “Even if I tried, there’s no way I can stay away from you now.”
Olivia froze. Words—even any coherent thoughts—escaped her completely until she was finally able to pull herself together. With a terrified gulp, she whispered the words that even through her fear she wasn’t able hold back. “I don’t want you to.”
The intense way he’d been staring at her softened a bit, and a slow smile spread across his face. “Well, then, I guess you’re stuck with me now.” He leaned in, and Olivia’s entire body readied itself to feel those magical lips on hers. He suddenly stopped as if something just hit him and pulled away, the hardened intensity in his eyes back once again. “This does mean you’re not seeing anyone else, right? Or have any ex-boyfriends still hung up on you that I’d have to deal with?”
Olivia shook her head, still unable to believe this was happening. “No one,” she managed to say.
“And you’re sure about that?” he asked, his brows pinching a little more severely as he pressed his lips together.
“Yes.” She nodded, fisting the fabric of his shirt against his chest, feeling his heart continue to pound furiously.
He stared into her eyes, almost as if he were searching for something, and then spoke again. “Look. I know you’re probably gonna think it’s way too early to be having this conversation, but this is something I feel emphatic about. I have to be honest with you now before you agree to anything with me. I will not deal with any other guys in your life. It’s the one reason why I’d sworn off serious relationships. I know I can’t—I won’t be able to—handle anything like that. It’s my biggest regret and where I think I went wrong with my ex—trusting her to continue having a relationship with hers. And I know that’s bullshit for anyone else that comes along now because it’s not your fault. I also know for a lot of girls that might be a deal breaker. Way too much to ask for.” He shrugged with a frown. “Rightfully so maybe, but no other women are in my life, and they won’t be as long as I’m with you, so I don’t think it’s too much to ask. I won’t compromise when it comes to this. I’ve been burned once before, and it’s not something I care to live through ever again. So if that’s not something you can agree to, then it’s best that we know now before moving forward.”
Olivia gulped, staring into those potent eyes. “My ex and I have been broken up for almost two years. We did keep in touch for a while, but now we’re not even speaking, and he lives in Dallas. So I can assure you I don’t have a relationship with him at all. Getting this grooming business going has consumed the last two years of my life. I haven’t even made any close friends with girls much less with guys. It’s why when I hit it off with Rose I latched on to her friendship like I did. Agreeing to no other guys in my life won’t be a sacrifice for me. Trust me.”
He smiled, leaning in finally, and kissed her softly. “I want to,’ he whispered against her lips then kissed her as he did that first night, draining what little strength that remained in her legs.
She wrapped her arms around his neck partly for support and partly so he’d never stop. After a few long amazing minutes of Lorenzo devouring her mouth, he finally pulled away and smiled. “Man, are Rosie and Vince in for a surprise”—he laughed—“because I’ll keep our first time together a secret if you prefer, but no way am I keeping my hands or lips off you now.” He leaned in and kissed her again with a groan before pulling away again. “You better think up a story to tell them because they’re gonna know about this as soon as we get back, and they’ll probably think this is weird as shit.”
“I’ll just tell them that after spending some time alone with you it was impossible to fight the incredible attraction I felt for you.” Olivia smiled, still unable to look away from those beautiful eyes, but she didn’t even try now. “That after just a few minutes alone with you in such close proximity I had no choice but to give into the unexplainable pull—and now I’m hooked.”
His eyes practically sparkled as they lit up. “Maybe I should tell them that because in my case it wouldn’t be a made-up story. It’d be the God’s honest truth. That’s exactly what happened.”
Her heart doubled over as he leaned in and kissed her again. Never in a million years when she agreed to meet Rose for lunch did she imagine the day turning out like this.
~~~
To say Rose and Vince were surprised to see Lorenzo and Olivia return holding hands was a laughable understatement. Rose’s mouth literally dropped; then her brows pinched suspiciously as if the two were playing a joke on them.
Vince’s brow had gone up too, and everyone was quiet for too long until he finally broke the silence in the room. “What the hell?”
Lorenzo laughed, giving them the speech about being so incredibly attracted to Olivia after just a few minutes alone with her and how instantly he’d been hooked. As expected, Rose and Vince still stared at them, their faces full of disbelief.
Olivia had no choice but to just fess up. “We’d actually had a . . . romantic encounter over two months ago before I had any idea he was related to my cousin’s friends. But things didn’t go anywhere, and I hadn’t even seen him until I was over at Sal’s over a month ago to groom his puppies and Lorenzo happened to be there.” She turned to Rose, feeling guilty for not having told her sooner. At the same time she gave her a pleading look and prayed she’d get that she didn’t want any elaborating on the intimate details she’d shared. “He’s who I told you about, but since I knew he was part of the Moreno clan, I wasn’t sure how well you knew him, so I left out his name. And since I didn’t know you were married to a Moreno yourself, I had no idea you’d know him this well.”
Lorenzo squeezed her hand, taking over the explanation. “I hadn’t been able to get her off my mind since,” he said, smiling as he glanced back at her. “Then suddenly she seemed to be everywhere. So tonight when I got the chance to be alone with her”—he lifted and dropped a shoulder—“I told her so and”—he lifted their attached hands then brought them behind her back and pulled her to him—“we’re gonna give this a shot.”
To Olivia’s surprise, although in hindsight she wasn’t sure now why she’d been surprised, instead of Rose being upset at all, she squealed in delight. Olivia should’ve known she’d be happy about it. The girl got out about as much as Olivia did, and now she and her husband had an instant couple they both got along with so well.
Lorenzo made it sound like such a casual thing. They were giving this a shot. But what that meant exactly Olivia had no idea. Given the seriousness of their talk in the supermarket parking lot and casualness about this now, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Would they just do the “Monday Night Football” thing to begin with? He did say they’d take things slowly.
The one thing he’d made absolutely unequivocal was how he felt about other guys in her life, specifically any exes. Remembering what Rose had said about him being such a hard ass about this, a tiny part of her whispered she should mention Elton. But another more stubborn part argued that her relationship with Elton was nothing more than business. She’d never once had any involvement with him in any other way, nor had she ever felt remotely attracted to him or even considered him a friend. Like her brothers, Lorenzo didn’t need to know about the subtle hints Elton still dropped every now and again. She had no intention of ever taking him up on them, so it didn’t matter what the delusional guy thought might happen.
By the end of the night, Olivia had a better understanding of what Lorenzo was expecting of this relationship. As planned, she’d had the two wine coolers, and Rose had kept her promise about serving her another big helping of the delicious lunch she’d prepared.
At the end of the night, Lorenzo walked her out across the street to her car. Once there, he leaned against it, pulling her to him again and planting another kiss like the one she’d been thinking of all night. While Lorenzo hadn’t lied about not being able to keep his hands and lips off her even in front of Rose and Vince, he seemed to sense her unease about doing anything more than sharing a few quick pecks in front of them, so he’d behaved himself. Now he kissed her so profoundly she tingled in the most private of places.
Shamefully, she had no qualms about getting right to the amazing sex as soon as he wanted to. As if reading her mind, because her thoughts were already on how slowly he planned on taking this, he pulled away breathlessly. She could already feel confirmation press against her leg that he, too, would likely be anxious to get to that sooner than he’d made it sound.
“What’s your schedule usually like?” he asked her, still breathing hard and staring deeply into her eyes. “Tomorrow. What time are you off?”
“Not all my days are the same. But I’m usually done around six-ish. It just depends on who I’m working on and how many appointments I have that day.”
They’d already exchanged numbers earlier, and they agreed she’d call him the next day as soon as she was off. Okay, maybe this wouldn’t be just a “Monday Night Football” thing. After just one evening of hanging out with him, holding hands, kissing, and cuddling, it felt as if he’d been her boyfriend forever. And while getting so instantly lost in his eyes felt similar to what Jay could do to her once upon a time, it had never felt quite like this. Her tumultuous relationship with Jay had had its moments. But this excited her more than she cared to admit. It was almost embarrassing how giddy she felt about the whole thing. What was she, twelve? At least with Jay she had an excuse. The excitement with him had started when she was very young.
After several marathon kisses goodbye, Olivia was finally in her car and on her way home. Still feeling breathless, she thought of what her friend Margie might say if Olivia could call her and tell her about Lorenzo.
Sprung!
It was what her ex friend would say Olivia was. And she’d be right because it was exactly how she felt. For years she thought she’d never feel the things Jay had made her feel, and now unbelievably this was beginning to feel as if it might actually top that. She took a long deep breath, reminding herself tomorrow she’d have to get a grip. How mortifying would it be if he knew what she was feeling after spending just one evening with him?
Her phone beeped, and as soon as she came to a stop, she read the text from Lorenzo.
Call me as soon as you’re home and in bed so we can talk. This is crazy, but already I can’t wait to see or talk to you again.
With one hand at her mouth she giggled—just like a twelve-year-old.