A Cosmic Kind of Love(29)

    I can’t believe you walked out without apologizing. You owe me lunch next weekend, young lady.



With an aggravated sigh, I hung my head, wondering for the millionth time how it was possible to love someone this much who irritated the hell out of me. I would never understand my mom. And I guess I just had to make peace with that too.



* * *





“I want to set you up with someone— Ooh, who is that hottie? He looks familiar.”

Feeling caught, I wanted to click Christopher’s image off the page, but I knew that would only encourage Althea’s curiosity. “It’s Darcy Hawthorne’s ex-boyfriend. The astronaut. Captain Ortiz.” I couldn’t look as she bent over my computer screen. “He suddenly RSVPed to the engagement party, and I just wanted to learn a little more about him . . . just in case. It’s not every day the ex-boyfriend shows up.”

“Oh my God, you’re such an overachiever. Though this is pretty nice extracurricular work. That boy is fine.” Althea sat down on the edge of my desk. “Darcy Hawthorne has it all. Fine fiancé, fine ex-boyfriend. And an astronaut to boot, so you know he’s smart and brave too. Some people have all the luck.”

“Aren’t you one of them?” I relaxed back in my office chair, relieved Althea hadn’t picked up on my crush. The truth was, I was brushing up on details about Christopher. The engagement party was in two days.

“Yes, I am.” She wore that secret smile that appeared on her face when Michelle’s name came up. “And speaking of Michelle, her brother is newly single . . .”

Realization dawned. “No. Nope. Not ready.”

“Oh, come on, Hallie. Derek is beautiful, and he’s sexy, and he’s actually a really nice guy. He got out of a long-term relationship a few months ago and is only now ready to get back on the horse.”

“And you want me to be the horse?”

“I want the first woman he goes on a date with to be classy, kind, and sweet.”

I felt my cheeks turn hot. “Don’t do that. Now how am I supposed to say no?”

She grinned mischievously. “You can’t. C’mon. We’ll make it a double date.”

A double date sounded better than a blind date.

Still.

“I don’t know.”

“Okay, wait, wait.” She hurried out of my office and returned a minute later, cell clutched in her hand. “Look, look.” After she tapped the screen a few times, she held it up to my face. On it was a picture of gorgeous Michelle with an equally gorgeous man at her side.

“You know looks aren’t important to me.”

“I know. But this one comes with the personality to match. I promise.”

My gaze surreptitiously flickered back to the picture of Christopher in the article I’d found on him in the New York Times.

“Say yes, Hallie.”

The engagement party was in two days.

“Um . . .” I looked back at Althea. “Let me think about it.”

She wrinkled her nose in disappointment but nodded reluctantly. “Fine. But don’t wait too long. You have no idea how many women just in his building alone have been waiting for him to break up with his fiancée.”

“That’s awful. Why would anyone wish that kind of unhappiness on someone?”

“See!” Althea pointed at me. “That! That right there is why you’re perfect for him. You can both be nice people together.”

I gave a huff of amusement. “I said I’d think about it.”

“I’ll leave you alone to do that.”

Five minutes later, I got an intraoffice email from Althea. When I clicked it open, another photograph of Derek popped up on my screen.

I snorted at Althea’s antics and hit Reply.

    I said I’ll think about it.



In response, she sent another photo.

Okay, Derek was definitely hot.

But, truthfully, someone else had my undivided attention. I enjoyed having a crush on Christopher. Maybe because it was fun to be crushing on someone when I hadn’t experienced that feeling in such a long time. Also, because having this crush distracted me from the parts of my life that were difficult at the moment. From my parents, from the friends I was growing increasingly distant from, and from the fact that my last boyfriend made me feel insignificant and inferior.

I wasn’t ready to give up my wonderfully distracting crush just yet.

Or the hope that maybe when we met, and I explained what had happened, Christopher might not hate me . . . and maybe, just maybe, he might even like me a little.

Yup, I groaned at my ridiculousness. I’d reverted to my teenage self, who had fantasized daily that one day I’d meet the Kings of Leon and one of them would fall in love with me.

“Grow up, Hallie,” I muttered to myself, even as a stupid little smirk prodded my lips.





TWELVE





Chris


Standing beneath a tent on the rooftop of the turn-of-the-century hotel on Broadway, I couldn’t help but admire the work that had gone into making it look this good. I’d attended swanky events in my life, but I’d usually been so desperate to leave that I’d never noticed or thought about the work that went into it. The guests at Darcy’s party mingled beyond the tent in the open air of the rooftop, where classical musicians played. I stood inside the tented dining area as people passed me by. If my ears didn’t deceive me, the musicians were playing instrumental versions of rock songs. That made me smirk as I nodded at people I knew and nursed the beer in my hand.