I stretched and yawned as I shut off my alarm. It was still dark outside, but I needed to get to work early to test my code one more time and then hopefully turn it in before the rest of the office got in. After taking off early Wednesday for my dad’s birthday celebration, I’d had to work late last night to catch up. It had been worth the long night, but it’d meant I hadn’t seen Court since Wednesday night. Fortunately, tonight was Leika’s engagement party and the start of the weekend. I planned to steal as much of Court’s time as he was willing to give me for the next three days.

His good morning text was already waiting for me, as it had been all week.

Court: Good morning beautiful girl. Knock’em dead at work today!

Pleased he’d remembered and had thought to mention it, I jumped out of bed and showered. With Court still on my mind as I looked for something to wear, I dug through the stack of clean laundry on the top of my dresser and pulled on a pair of lacy, black underwear and matching bra. I bit the inside of my cheek as his words came back to me.

Throw out the rules.

With a silent prayer I wouldn’t regret it later, I snapped a picture of me in the frilly lingerie, face included, and sent it to Court.

His response was almost immediate and made me laugh out loud.

Court: I nearly choked on my oatmeal, 8B. That is seriously hot. Can I pick you up for Leika’s engagement party?

Me: I’ll be waiting xoxo

With our big assignments turned in, Robert, Jared, and I sat around mid-morning talking about our weekend plans while the boys tossed the nerf basketball back and forth. They’d stopped bothering to try and get me to play and I’d given up the pretense of joining in. Maybe there were some things at work I would never be able to fit in with the guys.

“Bianca,” Mr. Ross’s deep voice bellowed behind our pod and all three sets of eyes turned. As the director of engineering he had that sort of effect. Even if he wasn’t speaking directly to you, you wanted to acknowledge him.

“Hi, Mr. Ross.”

My podmates looked from him to me and back to him. He stood there holding a NYU coffee mug in hand looking crisp in his black dress pants and light blue button-down shirt. No tie, but he stood out among the sea of jeans and t-shirts.

“Great work on the intelligence library project.”

“Thank you,” I managed to respond without cowering or jumping up and down. He’d shocked me and both seemed like reasonable reactions.

He nodded to me and then briefly to Robert and Jared before disappearing as silently as he’d appeared.

When he was out of ear shot, Jared smirked and tossed the mini basketball in my direction. By some luck, I caught it gracefully.

I decided not to push my luck today and instead of taking the shot, passed it on to Robert. “You guys know of a good place to grab lunch nearby?”

“Just stick with us, Winters,” Robert winked.

Score for the girly girl engineer.

The afternoon had been too crazy to think about the night ahead, but as soon as my bags were packed and I was headed home, the nerves and excitement started to build.

My phone buzzed.

Court: Be at your place in 15

Me: Gah! I’m not even there yet. I need time to get ready.

Court: You can entertain me with a fashion show… a naked one.

Me: No time for that. I have to get ready. Wait 15 and then leave.

Court: Fine, but I’m getting a naked fashion show before the end of the night.

My body shivered in anticipation. Stowing my phone in my purse, I hurried home.

I needed more time to obsess over every detail of my hair, dress, and makeup. I wanted to knock Court’s socks off. Literally.

I was running through the jewelry options when I came up short outside of my parents’ house. “Todd?”

“Hey, B.” Todd stood from the front stoop, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

“What are you doing here?”

He strode to where I was still frozen on the sidewalk and leaned in for a hug. “I’m in town for the weekend and wanted to surprise you. Tasha gave me your address.”

I was going to kill Tasha. She’d probably thought she was doing me a favor, but she had the worst timing ever.

“I’m definitely surprised,” I managed.

“Do you have plans? I thought I could take you to dinner?”

“Actually, I have a friend’s engagement party tonight.”

“Tomorrow?”

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. My heart raced with worry and unease, but I felt compelled to give him closure. When I’d been desperate for his attention, all I’d really ever wanted was to have an answer. Yes or No – either way so I could have moved on.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“The sort of guy?”

I nodded. “Yeah, but it’s become more serious.”

“I see. Are you happy?”

“I am. I really am. Hopelessly happy and in love.”

Time apart had only made me realize how deep my feelings for Court were. I was madly in love with him, and I realized the person I needed to tell was Court. Would he be there to catch me? Sure, he’d said he loved me, but could he really commit? I wasn’t sure, but I was willing to risk it. No one free falls into true love, we leap of our own free will.

He studied me for a moment, but as if he’d seen that I wasn’t faltering on my response he nodded. “Good, you deserve to be happy. I’m sorry for not seeing what was right in front of me for so long.”

“Nah, don’t be. We’re good as friends.” I smiled, hoping he could read my sincerity.

He nodded, the look on his face not completely sold on the idea.

“I should get going. I’m running so late already.”

“Take care, Bianca,” he said and dropped a kiss to my cheek.

I walked to the doorway and watched as he ambled down the sidewalk. Peace and contentment filled me and I smiled, feeling good about things falling in line. Those good feelings vanished when my eyes landed on Court, strolling down the sidewalk dressed in a classic black suit with a bouquet of red roses in his hands. He passed an oblivious Todd, but Court’s face was hard and unreadable. I wanted to cry or disappear into a puddle on the hot sidewalk as each of his long strides brought him closer.

“Hey,” he said gruffly, pulling at his tie.

“Let me explain. It’s not what you think,” I started, but he held up a hand.

“Just let me say something first.”

I motioned for him to come inside and he did, handing me the roses and then hovering in the entryway.

“There are probably a million reasons why he’s the better guy, but you can’t be with him. He’s better on paper, but I’m better for you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Do you remember the first time we met on the plane?”

“Of course.”

“You asked me what it took for a woman to get my attention. Do you remember that?”

“Yes,” I said, the trepidation clear in my voice.

“I think I knew the answer even then, but I just wasn’t willing to accept that some woman I met on a plane could knock me on my ass with one look. It was you. You were what it took to get my attention. I took one look at you in your sparkly shoes and electric blue eyes and I fell for you. I didn’t want to believe it was possible, but I think I’ve loved you from the minute I saw you. You were so sincere, honest, beautiful, and completely true to yourself. I told you to be something other than that and I’m sorry. I never should have let you do that. Not for some other guy and not for me. I love you. YOU, 8B.”

He looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t, and silence filled the house as I watched emotion and love distort his beautiful face.

“I love you, too.”

His head snapped up and his eyes locked with mine. “You do?”

“Duh,” I said and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Which is exactly what I just told Todd. He wished us well.”

Court’s eyebrows raised in disbelief. “You did?”

“I left out your name in case he’s a secret spy sent by your father, but yeah. I don’t want Todd or anyone else, just you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

A cocky grin took over his face and he wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face into my neck. “My little, 8B. All mine.”

He pulled back, mischief and trouble written all over his face. “Have time for a naked fashion show?”