Girl Gone Viral (Modern Love #2)(7)

The grunts weren’t as sexy to her as his eyebrows, but they were still pretty cute, damn it.

She glanced up at that rope sign. Happiness is a radical act.

Focus on the new guy. Find a zing there.

She made her way back to the table. “Thanks for holding it,” she said to the blond woman, and got a wave in return, the lady not even looking away from her small phone screen, her thumbs moving at the speed of light.

Definitely a writer. Bet she’s in the middle of something juicy.

Katrina sat down and returned to her thriller. A few minutes later Ross returned. He placed a plate with a giant cookie on it between them. “I went biking this morning and worked up an appetite. Please help me eat this.”

She never turned down a good cookie. “Happy to assist.”

She was careful not to let their fingers brush as they demolished the cookie. Despite her brain urging her to let it happen, the bumportunities were bump-blocked by her own instincts.

Ross sat back. “The weather’s so nice today.”

Mona had all of French Coast’s windows and doors open, and the salt-tinged air was perfection. “It’s nice most days. Have you been to the beach yet?”

“Not yet. That’s on the agenda for tomorrow. I didn’t bring my flip-flops today.”

She named a popular park. “If you want to see the sunset tonight, you can see it from there. The view’s incredible.”

He smoldered and leaned over the table. She hadn’t been on the receiving end of a smolder in a long time, but this was most definitely a smolder of the highest caliber.

And like most smolders in the past, she was left cold. It was a sad day when a grunt could make her heartbeat accelerate, but a perfectly good smolder barely caught her attention.

“The view’s good from here too.”

She stifled the sudden urge to laugh. Were this a book or a movie, she might have sighed, but in real life, the line was cheesy and heavy-handed. “Uh, you mean the décor? Yeah, we call rope art beach chic over here.”

“Partially,” he said, the smolder turning down to a simmer. “Hey, you know of any good pizza places around here? No chains.”

The subject of food was never cheesy. Unless there was literal cheese involved. “There’s a place around the corner from here.” She gestured. “I order delivery from there a lot, and love it. I’m pretty sure they have a nice place to eat in.”

“Perfect.” He crossed his arms over the small table and leaned forward. This time, she forced herself to keep her body still. They touched, his forearm against hers.

Nothing. No zings. Not even a spark.

“Would you like to join me for pizza and a sunset tonight, then?”

She blinked. This was a bona fide meet-cute!

Except she didn’t care. It was flattering to have such a handsome guy flirting with her, but she could quite easily turn him down. “No, I’m afraid I can’t.”

He shrugged good-naturedly and, bless him, didn’t press. “No problem.”

“You should try Crush,” she offered. “I’m sure you can line up a date for the evening pretty easily.”

He made a face. “Never used one of those dating apps. I prefer meeting people like this. Face-to-face contact, you know.”

Katrina could at least tell Rhiannon she’d tried to convert another subscriber. “Totally get it.”

He gathered up his stuff. “Thanks so much for letting me share your table. I enjoyed having the company and the local tips.”

“Me too. Pet Sandy for me.”

He laughed. “She wouldn’t settle for anything less.”

He held out his hand and she shook it, expecting no feelings and getting none. This time she did watch him leave, satisfied at the contentment she felt.

One step after another. She could repeat this, message some of those guys lingering in her matches. And next time, maybe she’d want to go out with the guy.

She dawdled for a few more minutes, then tucked her paperback in her bag and collected her trash, depositing her stuff and the plate and cup Ross had left behind in the bin.

“Ready?”

She turned to find Jas behind her. She noted the bookmark sticking out of his hardcover with approval. No cracked spines here. “Yup.”

They went out the back door, to the alley where Mona allowed them to park.

Jas walked a step in front of her but within reach, leading her to the car. She slid her gaze from his straight black hair, down his strong neck and back, and tore it away just as it got to his butt.

Your employee. Your friend. But also, your employee. You’re his responsibility. Nothing more.

She’d message more men on Crush. She had to find someone else.

He opened her door for her, and she slid into the back seat. The windows were darkly tinted, so no one could look in and see her. She could look out, though.

Riding in cars was still a relative novelty for her. Almost two years ago, when she’d decided she wanted to try exposure therapy under Andy’s guidance, they’d come to this vehicle, parked in her driveway, and sat inside it. She’d wrestled her way out of the car when her throat had constricted so much she could only gasp. Not quite a panic attack. Fear of fear. The terror of a potential panic attack.

The second time had been easier. The third time, she’d managed to travel within a mile radius of her house.