Jack: Okay, um, I wasn’t done (did you not see the text bubbles, Piper?). I was saying that I have a Parisian honeymoon that I bought for Vanessa, but now that I’m not going, I will give you my airline points.
Hallie: After thinking the win would get me a trip to Paris, airline points sounds like winning a coupon. Keep thinking.
Jack: I have a LOT of points. More than enough for you to fly wherever you want for free.
Hallie: Still feels like a loss, but I will take it. Them. I will take your points.
Jack: So what can you give me? We don’t have a deal until you give me something good.
Hallie started thinking, racking her brain for something she had that might be valuable to him. She looked around her crappy living room—maybe he wanted an Ansel Adams coffee table book?—and just saw crap.
Hallie: Do you like baseball?
Jack: Yes.
Hallie: When my ex and I broke up (he was very awful so don’t judge me) I took an autographed baseball of his just to make him sad.
Jack: You fiend. I don’t really get into signed memorabilia, but who signed it?
Hallie: The Cubs.
Jack: As in, Chicago? And which Cubs players?
Hallie: All of them that were on the World Series team.
Jack: Hold please. I need a minute.
Hallie took her bowl and can into the kitchen, set them in the sink, and went into her room. For some reason, she always felt more alone when she was sitting in the living room at night than when she was in the bedroom.
Hallie: WTF are you doing?
Jack: Trying to remember to breathe. Are you telling me that you have an MLB baseball that is signed by the entire 2016 World Series team?
Hallie: Yup.
Jack: I went to Game 7 with my brother, my dad, and my uncle Mack. It was amazing.
Hallie: So the ball works to incentivize your love?
Jack: Absolutely it does. Holy shit, my father will cry like a baby and deem me the favorite child if I give that to him for Christmas.
Hallie: So you have daddy issues. Got it.
Jack: Very funny. This wager is brilliant. I literally will not give up and will date my ass off, just because I need that ball before Christmas.
Hallie: It’s September, dumbass. You really think you’ll find love by then?
Jack: I will die trying. Doesn’t the free airfare put you in the same frame of mind?
Hallie: I mean, I guess. I AM dying for a vacation, but since I’ll still have to pay for lodging and daily spending, it feels like something that I’ll put off forever.
Jack: This is only fun if you’re trying, Hal.
Hallie: I will try, I promise.
Jack: What if I throw in 5 nights at the hotel of your choice?
Hallie: Ooh, I think you’ve got a deal.
Jack: I’m only agreeing because I know I won’t lose, btw.
Hallie pulled back her comforter and climbed into bed. Sure you won’t.
Jack: Hey—here’s my number so we can text instead of going through the app.
Hallie snorted as she added him to her contacts. You’re so obsessed with me it’s disgusting. Here’s my number.
Jack: Pretty quick with those digits, Piper.
Hallie: Pretty lame with those comebacks, Marshall.
Hallie’s phone started ringing, which startled her for a quick second before it made her laugh.
“Why are you calling me?” she asked.
“I had to test the number and make sure it wasn’t a fake,” he said, and her brain immediately recalled that deep voice from the wedding night.
“So now you know.”
“I do.” Hallie heard him clear his throat, like he was about to launch into a business presentation, and he said, “So, Hal. Listen. My sister told me about this speed dating event tomorrow night for young professionals. I wasn’t going to go, but the whole setup kind of makes sense for our situation, and since we’re both on the hunt . . .”
“Are you kidding me right now?” She’d never done speed dating, but she was fairly certain she would fail spectacularly at it. “I didn’t think speed dating was a thing anymore.”
“I have a flyer,” he said.
“That sounds culty,” she replied.
“Just come, you chickenshit.”
Hallie shook her head and said, “Text me a pic of the flyer and where we should meet. I’ll go, but only because I have a roommate issue I don’t want to deal with.”
“What’s her deal? Does she party all night? Eat all your food? Get too loud when she’s entertaining visitors?”
“No,” Hallie said. “I’m moving into my own place, and I’m scared to tell her because I don’t want her to feel sad.”
“Oh, my God, Hallie, are you a tender little sweetheart of a girl? I did not get that vibe from you. Although, to be fair, you bit my shoulder so hard it left a bruise, so it might’ve left a bad—and literal—impression on me.”
Her mouth dropped open. Hallie was torn between wanting to tell him to shut up and wanting him to confirm whether she’d actually left a mark, so she just said, “I’m hanging up now. Send the info if you want me to go.”
He let out a quiet, deep laugh and said, “Coming your way, TB.”
Chapter
SIX
Hallie pushed the door and exited Starbucks, glad she’d decided to show up a little early. She felt ridiculously nervous about talking to so many people, all in a row, and she needed a big old cup of caffeine to soothe her nerves.
Surely that couldn’t backfire, right?
She was meeting Jack outside the coffee shop at 7:40 p.m., and then they were going to walk two blocks down to the bar where the speed dating event was occurring. But before she could give the night another fleeting thought, there he was.
He walked down the sidewalk with long strides, and she realized as she watched him approach that he was even more attractive than she’d remembered.
He was tall, dark-haired, and handsome; she’d remembered that. But there was something about his face that screamed mischief. His eyes positively crackled as he looked around the entrance, presumably for her, and then they crinkled at the corners when he saw her and smiled.
Hot damn—it was ridiculous how gorgeous he was.
Wrong, actually. Positively unfair to the rest of the human race.
Thank God he was just her partner in crime, because he had the kind of face that left piles of broken hearts and the occasional bra behind.
“Wow. You look incredible, Tiny Bartender.” His eyes dipped down to her fuzzy black sweater and jeans, and she didn’t feel like he was checking her out but rather genuinely just saying she looked good that night.
Hallie rolled her eyes and said, “You only think I’m hot because we bonked.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Is that a thing?”
She shrugged and wondered what kind of workout made a chest that broad. A lot of guys had pecs, but he looked like a professional athlete in his black V-neck sweater with the oxford underneath. Like he’d just showered and was ready for a post-game presser.
She got distracted for the briefest of seconds by his prominent Adam’s apple and a flashback from the hotel of her tongue on his neck.