Willow had chosen a simple black dress with a scoop back for the evening, and paired it with high-heeled sandals and simple, gold jewelry. She let her hair air dry to give it some texture then pulled it into a messy up-do. The goal was to come off simple and sophisticated, without looking overdone. Kind of like the decor in Harry’s restaurant.
She waved goodbye to Juliet and took a cleansing breath before stepping up to Harry’s door. Worry about what she was doing there tried to take root in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it away. I’m focusing on the present, she reminded herself. Not living in anxiety about the future.
She rang the bell and didn’t have to wait long for Harry to open the door. He was barefoot, wearing a thin T-shirt and a pair of loose sweatpants…somehow managing to look like he belonged on the cover of GQ. He leaned against the door frame and smiled a greeting. “Hey.”
Willow glanced at her outfit in horror. “Wow. I am totally overdressed.”
“No way. You look amazing.” He straightened and gestured for her to enter. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
Internally, Willow thrust a triumphant fist into the air, while externally playing it cool. “Oh yeah? Like how?” She stepped inside and took a moment to appreciate the interior. She was not in a typical bachelor pad. With art on the walls and a cohesive style to the furniture, she felt more like she’d come to visit one of the donors for the ballet, than a twenty-something guy in a pair of sweats.
Harry grabbed her waist and drew her close, pressing her body to his before kissing her. His fingers traced her back, an explosion of goose bumps racing away from the heat of skin against skin. She parted her lips and invited him to deepen his kiss, which he did, his tongue dipping into her mouth. “About that,” he said pulling back, his forehead pressed to hers. “I’ve been thinking about that all day.”
He kissed her again. His lips were warm and supple, and he tasted of peppermint.
“I can’t wait to find out what else you’ve been thinking about all day,” she said suggestively while trying not to show how shocked she was with herself for saying something like that.
What are you doing? asked her inner worrier.
Living in the present, she answered.
Harry traced his fingers along her back. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“Oh, no. That’s totally you.” Not wanting to seem like she was just there for a booty call, Willow stepped out of his arms. “This place is amazing. It’s not at all like I expected and everything I expected at the same time.” Kind of like you, she finished in her head.
“What in the world does that mean?” he asked as he took her arm and guided her down a hallway toward the kitchen.
“Well, you’re a guy. Living alone. I would expect bare walls and beer signs. Or no art anywhere. Or ugly as sin furniture surrounding a state-of-the-art entertainment center. But this place is gorgeous, with actual thought put into what goes where and how it all comes together. Which is something I’d expect from what I think I’ve learned about you.”
“Are you saying I decorate like a woman?” Harry flashed her a playful smile and Willow laughed.
“I guess that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Well, I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.” Harry leaned in, offering a good whiff of his cologne. “My sister decorated the place.”
“Ahh. The infamous Lilah.”
He nodded and slid a cutting board out of a drawer. “Yes, the infamous Lilah,” he said as he opened the fridge and started choosing veggies.
“What can I do to help?” Willow wasn’t used to being waited on and didn’t know what to do with herself.
“You can have a seat and pour us some wine.” He gestured to a large breakfast bar with an open bottle of red wine and two glasses before he gathered his ingredients and deposited them there. “So…” he began with an apologetic grimace. “Before we get too far into the evening, I have to admit that I Googled you.”
Willow swallowed hard and poured the wine. She really didn’t want to talk about work, which was the only thing a Google search about her would bring up. “Oh yeah? What did you find?”
“That you’re impressive as all hell, but I didn’t need the videos to prove that. I already knew.”
She blushed and bit her lip. “Thank you.” She watched his knife fly across the cutting board and waited for the inevitable questions to come. “I have to admit,” she said when Harry stayed silent. “I didn’t feel the need to Google you.”
His blade stilled as he gave her a quizzical glance. “Really? Why not?”
“In part it’s because I feel like I already know you. But also, because I want to learn about the stuff I don’t know by being with you.” She watched a blush color Harry’s cheeks and he took a drink of wine.
“I wonder if Juliet’s gonna mind if I steal her maid of honor for the last couple days before her wedding. Something tells me I’m going to want to spend every possible hour I can with you.”
Willow definitely liked the sound of that. She would be totally fine spending every second she was in Bliss at Harry’s side. “I don’t know, Julz is pretty low maintenance. She’s never been one to make a big deal about things.”
“How did you meet?”
Willow explained how they’d happened across each other at a party thrown by a donor for the ballet, a man who happened to be Juliet’s boss at the time. “When I found out her name was Juliet, I just knew we were destined to be friends.”
Harry arched a brow. “Because of her name? That was enough to tell you she should be your friend?”
“Oh yeah. It was like a big pulsing neon sign telling me she was supposed to be in my life.”
“How so?”
