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“The girls are having too much fun,” Remi said with a grin.

Was Vivian thinking of me?

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

VIVIAN

“Our Vivian has been horny!”Kiera gaped at me.

“It’s not that kind of app!” I defended myself, wondering why I put myself through this.

“Tell us about the app,” Audri said.

I told them how Heartstrings was created by a thirteen-year-old girl.

“One, Kaylee is a genius.” Audri held up a finger. “Two, that’s not dating, honey.”

“It’s not?” I asked, grabbing another throw pillow and tucking it behind my back against the edge of the couch for extra comfort.

Kiera laughed. “Not even close, babe. You were just chatting with a stranger who gave you an option to compare to Arrow. This dude helped you figure out what your heart wanted.”

“Why didn’t you ask to see his picture?” Audri asked.

“Because she feared it would be some pervy old dude who would ruin her fantasy.” Kiera grinned.

“Looks shouldn’t matter,” I protested.

“But theydo.” Audri emphasized with her hand gestures. “Especially in the beginning. First impression iseverything. You see a hot guy, and that sparks an attraction. Then once you get to know him, that emotion grows deeper. I don’t care what the books or therapists say. Looks matter to some extent.”

“You’re telling me you were attracted to Remi’s looks first?” I asked.

“I thought he was cute when we were teens. Then he grew into a handsome man I couldn’t resist. My impression of him was planted in my mind years ago. It becamemoreas time went by.”

“Same here.” Kiera poked a meatball with a fork and popped it into her mouth. “I always thought Forrest was hot, but he was way out of my league.”

“What do you mean?” I’d never had this kind of conversation with anyone. It fascinated me how my friends started their relationships with their men.

“His girlfriends were all doctors or nurses. I wasn’t a science girl with several college degrees, so I assumed I wasn’t his type.” She reached for the tray of earrings and held up a glittering pair. “I want to buy this,” she said to Audri.

“Each of you gets to pick a pair from my new collection. It’s my gift to you.” Audri smiled. “Wear it and promote it for me.”

“Thanks! You know I will,” Kiera said.

“That’s so sweet, Audri. Thank you!” I reviewed her jewelry and chose a simple golden spiral earring.

Audri turned to me. “Life has an intricate plan full of twists and turns, taking you in circles. But you’ll eventually end up with the person you’re meant to be with.”

“Give him one date and see how it does,” Kiera said. “What should we call this Super Spy Girl mission?”

Oh, God.

“You thought we forgot about the SSG, didn’t you?” Audri winked and reached for the bottle of wine, but it was empty. “I’ll be right back.”

“I thought about giving him a date, but then I saw him with Sylvia.”

“Maybe you misunderstood the situation. Were they hugging? Kissing? Holding hands?”

“No,” I said.