Page 35 of Kiss and Tell

“There’s so much to do,” he said.

“You’re the one with all these ideas,” I reminded him.

“I’m starting to regret it,” he said.

I was a tinge annoyed. I was just following his lead. I would have been happy designing him a regular old sports bar.

I thought about what Jessie said. About Connor being no stranger to hard work. I had to wonder if he was putting on this show just to needle me.

I was still riding the high of getting the interior design sorted out, though, so I couldn’t be too annoyed with him. I really was going to pull this off.

But there was still one complication.

It came in a package of firm, broad shoulders, dark tousled hair and expressive dark eyes.

Eleven

As I shoveda water bottle and a granola bar into my bag in case I got hungry on the way, my mind was on anything but the road trip ahead.

Connor had liked my idea for the interior design. We were already starting to plan the menu. We still had lots of work to go, but things were finally moving along.

I really was going to nail my first solo project. People at work would start to treat me with a bit more respect. Maybe I would get a promotion.

Maybe — and this was a pipe-dream, but I couldn’t stop the thought — maybe I could even get an industry award. I could use this project as a submission, at the very least. Getting an invitation to an industry awards event would be exciting enough, even if I didn’t win anything.

Delighted at the thought, I couldn’t stop smiling as I got ready. The brewery was more than a handful of hours away. Even though I was leaving early, it would still be late when I got back.

I was just about to grab my car keys when my phone rang. I eyed it curiously. No one ever called me.

A thought occurred that it might be Peter calling to harass me again and dread washed over me.

When I answered it with a tentative greeting, I was filled with relief, then confusion at the voice on the other end.

“Hey Quinn,” Connor said. “Where should I be heading?”

“I emailed you the address days ago,” I told him.

“Not to the brewery,” he told me. “To your place.”

“What? Why?”

“To pick you up,” he said. “I don’t know where you live.”

“Why are you picking me up?” I asked.

“To go to the brewery,” he replied. It felt like we were going in circles. “It’s a road trip,” he continued. “Don’t tell me you were planning on driving there alone?”

It hadn’t crossed my mind that Connor might assume we’d be going together.

“You don’t need to drive me,” I told him. “I can get there myself.”

“You said it’s a long trip,” he replied. “It’s boring going alone.”

“It’s okay,” I told him. “I was going to listen to some audiobooks along the way.”

“You can listen to audiobooks any time,” he said. “If we go together we can keep discussing the renovations, get some extra work in. I know how much you like to work,” he ended on a teasing note.

Sitting in a car for hours next to Connor, listening to that deep voice talking in smooth tones, inhaling that delicious spicy-leather aftershave, watching those strong hands grip the steering wheel and imagining how it would feel to have those fingers on my skin…