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“I’m not great at just a date or casual things. Besides, I get the impression that that’s more Jolie talking than you.”

“It is,” Kyle admitted, looking anywhere but into Melinda’s eyes now. “And you’re right: I’m leaving at some point. I just… I like you.”

“I like you, too,” Melinda replied, smiling at her.

“So, how does this work now? Do we still go to dinner and pretend this part of the night didn’t happen?”

“We don’t have to pretend.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“If I lived here, or if I wasn’t just some tourist, at least, would you really go out with me? You’re not just saying that to make it easier?”

“What? No. Kyle, I would definitely go out with you. I’ve made some mistakes in the past where I’ve jumped rightinto something that I shouldn’t have, and I get this feeling from you that you’re not someone who a person just goes on one date with and leaves it and is fine with that.”

“Many women I’ve dated would disagree with you,” Kyle said.

“Well, they’re idiots,” Melinda replied. “And for the record, so am I for saying no to you, but I think it’s better if we just stay friends.”

“Okay. Understood,” Kyle said. “I had to try.”

“Dinner?” Melinda asked.

“Um… Yeah. Sure. Let’s go.”

“Do you want to skip it now?” she asked, sensing the mood shift.

“Can I? I’m sorry. I think I could use the night. I guess I got my hopes up, and I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’m not exactly sure how to go about a dinner with you that isn’t a date now.”

“Of course,” Melinda replied.

“Can I call you or something?”

“I’m going to a wedding this weekend in Baton Rouge. It’s one night and mainly to be Bridgette’s plus-one since she was supposed to go with her ex and didn’t want to go alone, but I’ll be back on Saturday afternoon.”

“Okay,” Kyle said. “I guess good night, then.”

“Yeah, good night.”

Melinda watched Kyle turn around and walk back in the direction of her hotel. She waited for a long time, just watching her, before she returned to the office to find Jill reaching for her bag.

“What happened?”

“I made a mistake, but I don’t know how to fix it.”

CHAPTER 13

“It was worth a shot, Ky,” Jolie told her as she opened another box.

“Wasit? After I asked her and she said no, I told her it was fine, but then I still left because I couldn’t just have dinner with her right after that. It would’ve been too weird,” she replied, closing a box of her own.

“But she said it was only because you don’t live here, and she wants a relationship. That’s something,” Jolie argued. “She likes you, Kyle. She just doesn’t think you should try anything because she likes you so much and doesn’t want to get her heart broken.”

“Well, I don’t want that, either, but we’ve been spending so much time together, and I really like her. It’s been a long time since I’ve been interested in a woman and thought it had a chance at being something.”

“But did it, Ky?”