Page 27 of The Backup Groom

“I’m serious. It’s that fluttering people talk about.”

“Men don’t get butterflies,” Dean said.

Tell that to the butterflies in my stomach.

“And that’s all the proof you need to quit dilly-dallying and ask her out,” he added. “You two would make a cute couple and you need to spend as much time with Amber as you can before she goes to jail.”

I elbowed him when she approached.

Hopefully, she hadn’t heard that.

She got on her tip-toes to peek over the espresso machine. “Hey, Scotty. You never did tell me if you want to participate in the Coffee Crawl. You’re running out of time to sign up.”

I wrinkled my nose, feeling bad. “Sorry—I’ve been meaning to get back to you on that, but I have been slammed.”

“Well, I think you should do it. It’ll be good for your business, plus it would be fun to have you.” Amber smiled. “But I also wanted to tell you that my boss took me off the account, so you’ll need to talk to Stella if you want to take part.”

“Inconceivable,” I joked, wondering if she would get the reference.

Her eyes lit up. “Look at you, quoting lines fromThe Princess Bride. Very impressive, considering it’s a romance.”

I shook my head. “Sorry, but that’s a fantasy.”

We shared a laugh.

I loved that she had a sense of humor and a playful side.

I hated that my hands were tied.

“Will you be around tomorrow?” Amber asked. “I know it’s a Sunday, but maybe I can come by with Stella to answer your questions then.”

“Absolutely—come by,” I exclaimed, a little too eagerly.

Dean leaned toward me. “I thought you were going to take the day off tomorrow?”

“No—that was next Sunday,” I lied. “I’ll be here tomorrow after one thirty.”

“Great. It’s a date,” Amber said, turning on her heels and walking out.

“Dude!” Dean said, smacking me on the side of the arm with his hand. “You have a date.”

I sighed. “It’s a business date, not adatedate. Those were the words she chose to confirm our business meeting.”

“Whatever.” He smiled knowingly. “She likes you.”

I glanced out the window and watched her cross the street before she disappeared around the corner. She had an extra bounce to her step today and I couldn’t help wondering if it was because of our bet or specifically because of spending time with me. It was impossible to ignore the electrical charge bouncing off us like a lightning storm.

It was magical.

It was pure chemistry.

And it was driving me crazy since I couldn’t do a darn thing about it.

ChapterSix

Amber

My last yoga class was a complete disaster, and even though it was over three years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday. After having finished the cobra pose, I tried to adjust my sweaty bra, lost my grip, and punched myself in the face.