After the Kiss (28 page)

Fair enough.

lieberries: Where do you do this?

GearTattoo: Do you know where the teahouse shelters are?

Celebration Park was built to honor the 150th anniversary of our midwestern city, and the planning committee divided it into sections based on the countries of the world in a sort of essentialist, theme-park way. The teahouse shelters are in the “Asian” section of the park and consist of small picnic tables with a carved pergola over each one. They’re visible throughout the park, but afford the idea of privacy when sitting inside one of the pergolas. He’s thinking of safety, my comfort, again.

lieberries: Of course.

GearTattoo: I’ll meet you at the shelter closest to the bank of water fountains this Wednesday at noon. My first name is Brian.

lieberries: You don’t want me to wear a blue scarf or carry an umbrella or something?

GearTattoo: I’ll assume the strange woman addressing me by name is you. Certainly, wear and carry what you would like, though.

I snort at that. I do realize that he hasn’t asked for a picture or description, or anything like that.

lieberries: It’s just that I have a decent picture to go by, to find you and decide this. Don’t you want a picture from me? What if I’m not your type? Won’t that sort of defeat the whole idea of losing an hour to great kissing?

GearTattoo: I’m not worried. Librarians dewey it better.

I laugh, for real, at that. Finally, there seems to be something kind of sexy seeping into our strange chat. Maybe it’s just my own realization that I’m doing this, and it’s already Tuesday morning. Anticipation of my own daring.

lieberries: And I guess, if it’s awful, you just aren’t there the next Wednesday.

GearTattoo: Or you aren’t.

lieberries: Or I’m not. Good night (good morning?), Brian. BTW, my name’s Carrie.

GearTattoo: Good night, Carrie.

I snap my laptop closed. It seems impossible, but suddenly I am drowsy. When I close my eyes, I can hear the streetlights under my window start to snap off, one by one.

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Sophie is about to learn three very important lessons:
1. The right shoes can and
will
change your life.
2. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay there.
3. Love finds you when you least expect it.

ONLY WITH YOU

by Lauren Layne

Coming Spring 2014

ISBN: 9781455546084

Forever

Hachette Book Group

Forever is an imprint of Grand Central Publishing