What He Wants (Second Chances #1.5)(16)

I laughed and slipped my sunglasses back on so I wouldn’t have to squint. “You know it. Oh yeah, and also avoiding my ex-husband’s calls. I think he’s apologized over a million times now. He keeps sending me text messages saying he still wants me and loves me.”

Korinne scoffed, “When is he going to take the hint? It’s been a year now. Please tell me he’s not wearing you down.”

“Definitely not,” I shrieked. “I’ll admit I loved him, and he was good to me for a while, until his ego got the better of him. I can’t forgive him for cheating on me. It’s not going to happen.”

“I understand, Mel. So what else is new?”

Gazing out at the pool with its cool water beckoning me, I sighed. “Well, I’m trying to enjoy the last few days of summer now that I have them. Its nice getting home early in the afternoons and spending them out here. I’m looking forward to the fall and winter, though.”

“Oh, me too. Watching the leaves change colors at our home in the mountains is the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. Other than my little girl that is.”

I smiled. The thought of little Anna-Grace’s smiling face as I bounced her in my arms would always stay with me. One day I’d have a child of my own. I was thankful I never got pregnant with Daniel, especially now that we were divorced.

“How is she doing? I bet she misses her Aunt Melissa,” I said.

I could hear the baby giggling in the background and Korinne laughed. “Oh, she’s doing well. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger. I swear all she has to do is look at Galen and his heart stops.”

Galen, her husband, scoffed in the background and chided into the phone, “Don’t let her fool you, Melissa. Korinne’s wrapped around Anna-Grace’s finger, too.”

Korinne chuckled. “Okay, fine, I’m wrapped around her finger, too. I guess it’s hard not to when you spend years thinking you can’t have kids and then you finally get pregnant. Anyway, the reason why I called is because I wanted to know what you were doing tomorrow night.”

Going to bars, I guess, I thought to myself.

“I’m not sure,” I said slowly, curious as to why she’d ask. “Why? What do you have in mind?”

“Well,” she began, “there’s a party tomorrow night and I want you to come. Galen’s company is celebrating the expansion of his firm, and I thought it would be something you’d like to take part in. It’ll be fun with lots of people.” After pausing for a brief second, she delightfully added, “…good people.”

I knew that tone and I knew it very well. Korinne had a reason for me going to this party and it wasn’t so she could see me. Exasperated, I groaned and muttered, “Kori, seriously. Have you not learned your lesson yet? You need to stop trying to play matchmaker … I’m not interested. After me telling you no the past few times I thought you would’ve gotten the hint.”

She begged, “Please, Mel, it’ll be fun. I’ve wanted you to meet this guy at our firm for the past couple of months. He’s really hot and Galen just hired him as his lead architect for the West Coast accounts. Come on, what else do you have to do tomorrow? If all else fails you can hang out with me the whole time.”

I sat in silence for a moment, contemplating. Korinne was a good judge of character, so if she said the guy was a good man I had to believe her, but I couldn’t help feeling like I was a charity case. I can get men on my own. I just tend to get the wrong ones. It wasn’t like Korinne was setting us up on a blind date or anything, and if I didn’t want to talk to him I didn’t have to.

“Please,” she pleaded. I rolled my eyes and hung my head. There was no way I’d get out of it. She would beg me until I gave in.

“Are you going to give me an answer sometime this year?” Korinne asked, snickering.

Sighing, I huffed out a breath and gave in. “Okay, fine. I’ll go, but it’s not a blind date. I’m going for you and you only since you asked me to. I’ll meet your friend and that’s it. I don’t want any expectations you hear me?”

Korinne burst out laughing. “You are still the little firecracker that you were in high school. Don’t worry though. He has no clue he’s meeting you tomorrow either. So whatever you’re thinking, I didn’t plan on it being a blind date. I just think you need to meet him. He’s extremely good looking. Very nice, too.”

Well, at least he didn’t know about me, which was good. Blind dates were awkward enough without that pressure. “Good. Well let’s keep it that way and not tell him about me,” I told her. “I don’t want you going into detail about my past. You tend to talk too much.”

“Hey,” she scolded. “You have nothing to worry about, Mel. I don’t think he’d want to hear about your loser ex-husband anyway.” Korinne’s daughter began to fuss in the background. “All right, my lovely friend, the little one needs to be fed and put down for a nap. I’ll see you tomorrow night, seven o’clock, at the firm downtown. The party will be on the very top floor, but there’ll also be people there to guide you. Dress nice and you better have a smile on your face when I see you.”

Grinning, I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Okay, you have my word. See you then.”