Shaking my head, I said, “It wasn’t nothing.”
He gave me a wry grin. “There’s something in it for them too. It’s a tax break and they’ll get free advertising in exchange, so—”
I grasped his arm. “Stop downplaying it. It might not be a huge deal for your firm, but it’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me. Why?”
His eyes probed mine. “Why do you think?”
My hands shook and I wished I could amputate them for the length of this conversation. “You care about me?”
Still gazing at me, Will nodded again. “Very much. And while I understand and respect your doubts and can’t deny my execution could have been better, I didn’t only ask you out because Sidney cheated on me, and I didn’t only break up with her because of that either.”
“I believe you,” I said, my voice croaking. Sidney’s apology had come as a pleasant, albeit awkward, surprise—although it took a few minutes for my anger to simmer. Sidney didn’t know I’d been planning to break up with Perry when she launched herself at him, and it was a blatant breach of the girl code. But her honesty and vulnerability won me over by the end of the call. I also had to wonder if it could have been her on the receiving end of the apology. If Will had owned up to his feelings while I was still with Perry, would I have waited until I was truly single to satisfy my urges or would I have given in to my lust like she had? I liked to think I would have exercised self-control out of respect for Sidney and Perry, but as my eyes locked onto Will’s lips like a magnet on metal, I wouldn’t swear my music collection on it.
Will lessened the distance between us. “And I didn’t only want you to dump Perry because he’s a tool who’s not good enough for you. There was another reason.”
I blinked back the tears desperate to explode from the back of my lids and looked up at him. “What other reason?”
He shook his head and let out a laugh. “I thought I knew what being jealous felt like before, but I didn’t have a clue until I spent almost a week with the most adorable, sexy, and sweet girl in the world knowing she was dating…” He rolled his eyes. “A blond god. I wasn’t jealous because Perry was with Sidney; I was jealous because Perry was really dating you, and I was falling for you big time.”
I was tempted to halt the conversation to pinch myself and confirm this was really happening. “You had me at ‘Snow,’ Will.” In case he missed the Jerry McGuire reference, I said, “You’re the one I want, not Perry.” I shrugged. “I didn’t think I could compare to someone like Sidney.”
Will took both of my hands in his. “I don’t want someone like Sidney. I want you. And I have a feeling I always will.” He chuckled. “Even when you’re seventy-one.”
I pressed my lips together in confusion, and then I remembered the song we danced to at Billy Murphy’s. I stroked his jaw with my hand and reveled at the sensation. It felt better than I ever imagined. “And what happens when I turn seventy-two? I might not be sexy anymore, and I might be adorable in an old-lady way, but I’ll still be sweet. Will you still want me?” I held my breath.
Will drew me closer to him. “I’m willing to bet my firm’s entire charitable foundation you’ll still be sexy, adorable, and sweet when you’re ninety-two. And, yes, I’ll still want you.”
I chuckled. “That’s a mighty risky wager. And considering my school’s music program needs those funds, I’m not sure I’m comfortable with it.”
He took a few locks of my hair and rubbed them between his fingers. “We’ll wait and see then. But my money’s on you, Snow White. It’s on us. If you’re looking for a date for your family’s Passover or Easter celebration, I’d like to confirm my availability.”
“You mean Eastover?”
Will’s eyes opened wide. “Is that a thing?”
I smiled. “I have no idea. I totally made it up.”
He shook his head at me. “Clever. So what do you say? Can I be your date for Eastover?”
“Yes. On one condition.” I gave him a meaningful look. “No pretending this time.”
“Considering I was only pretending to pretend during most of Chrismukkah, you drive an easy bargain.”
I was afraid if my heart swelled any more, it would be visible from the outside. “Which means you have to kiss me. And I’m not talking about little pecks. I mean full-on making out.” I waggled my eyebrows. “I might even put out.”
Will ran a finger along my bottom lip. “I’m in, Snow. But do we have to wait until Eastover to get started?”
I shook my head. “No.” I slowly moved in to seal the deal with a kiss. I was still in a state of disbelief this was really happening, but in case I was dreaming, I was desperate to kiss him before I woke up. His lips were less than an inch away from mine when Principal Hogan called out, “Three-minute warning.”
Will pulled away from me and grunted. “Talk about bad timing.”
I bit back a groan of frustration. “I need to go to my students. I’m sorry.”
“I should get back to my seat.” Will stroked my cheek and smiled at me. “To be continued?”
I nodded. “Definitely.” My skin tingled from his touch.
“I’ll wait for you after the show.”
“You’d better,” I said with a smile. As I watched him walk away, I knew I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t wait another minute. I ran after him and put a hand on both of his hips to stop him.
He turned around and frowned in concern. “What’s up, Snow?”
I didn’t know what came over me. And I had no answer for him. There was nothing to say. There was only something to do. I grabbed his head with both of my hands and kissed him. And, oh my God, it was even better than it was at Oliver’s party in high school, even though, just like back then, he kissed me back. And just like then, he held my face in his hands. But although that was our first kiss ever and one I’d never forget, this kiss was the first kiss of the rest of our lives. This kiss was…I heard someone call my name, but it would have to wait. I wasn’t quite finished yet. As Will tapped me on the back, I pulled on his hair. It was so soft.
Wait…how could Will have one hand on each of my cheeks and another one on my back? I pulled away and looked at him. He stared back at me with a glazed expression on his face. And then there was giggling.
“Ms. Lane. The curtain’s up.” Aimee had a hand clamped to her mouth, but it wasn’t enough to suppress her chuckles. I followed her finger as she pointed it at the audience, who were gawking at us. I felt my face drain of color as I realized Will’s firm might have saved the music program, but I was probably out of a job. I glanced at them helplessly. “I’m so sorry.” Then I heard clapping from behind me—Principal Hogan. I turned to face him.
To the audience, he said, “I’m happy to report there will be no extra charge for the romance portion of the evening. It’s almost Valentine’s Day, after all.” He flashed me a genuine smile and resumed clapping while the rest of the audience joined in. I faced Will and laughed as he took a bow.
“Looks like I ended up with an entertainer after all,” I joked.
“At least I didn’t have to sing,” he said with a snicker before pulling me close to him again.
I whispered, “We still have their rapt attention.” I gestured to the audience, who were still riveted to the stage.
Will raised an eyebrow. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
My answer was another kiss.
About the Author
A born-and-bred New Yorker, Meredith Schorr discovered her passion for writing when she began to enjoy drafting work-related emails way more than she was probably supposed to. After trying her hand penning children’s stories and blogging her personal experiences, Meredith found her calling writing chick lit and humorous women’s fiction. She secures much inspiration from her day job as a hardworking trademark paralegal and her still-single (but looking) status. Mer
edith is a loyal New York Yankees fan, an avid runner, and an unashamed television addict. To learn more, visit her at www.meredithschorr.com.
Books by Meredith Schorr
JUST FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
A STATE OF JANE
HOW DO YOU KNOW?
THE BOYFRIEND SWAP
The Blogger Girl Series
BLOGGER GIRL (#1)
NOVELISTA GIRL (#2)
Sign up for Henery Press updates
and we’ll deliver the latest on new books, sale books, and pre-order books, plus all the happenings in the Hen House!
CLICK TO SIGN UP
(Note: we won’t share your email address and you can unsubscribe any time.)
We’d love to hear what you thought about this book. No matter how brief or how long, reader reviews make a difference. Thank you!
Henery Press Books
And finally, before you go...
Here are a few other books
you might enjoy:
JUST FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
Meredith Schorr
(from the Henery Press Chick Lit Collection)
When a friend urges Stephanie Cohen not to put all her eggs in one bastard, the advice falls on deaf ears. Stephanie’s college crush on Craig Hille has been awakened thirteen years later as if soaked in a can of Red Bull, and she is determined not to let the guy who got away once, get away twice.
Stephanie, a thirty-two-year-old paralegal from Washington, D.C., is a seventies and eighties television trivia buff who can recite the starting lineup of the New York Yankees and go beer for beer with the guys. And despite her failure to get married and pro-create prior to entering her thirties, she has so far managed to keep her overbearing mother from sticking her head in the oven.
Just Friends with Benefits is the humorous story of Stephanie’s pursuit of love, her adventures in friendship, and her journey to discover what really matters.
Read all about it and/or grab the book from Amazon
CLICK FOR JUST FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
THE BREAKUP DOCTOR
Phoebe Fox
The Breakup Doctor Series (#1)
(From the Henery Press Chick Lit Collection)
Call Brook Ogden a matchmaker-in-reverse. Others bring people together; Brook, licensed mental health counselor, picks up the pieces after things come apart. When her own therapy practice collapses, she maintains perfect control: landing on her feet with a weekly advice-to-the-lovelorn column and a consulting service as the Breakup Doctor: on call to help you shape up after you breakup.
Then her relationship suddenly crumbles and Brook finds herself engaging in almost every bad-breakup behavior she preaches against. And worse, she starts a rebound relationship with the most inappropriate of men: a dangerously sexy bartender with anger-management issues—who also happens to be a former patient.
As her increasingly out-of-control behavior lands her at rock-bottom, Brook realizes you can’t always handle a messy breakup neatly—and that sometimes you can’t pull yourself together until you let yourself fall apart.
Read all about it and/or grab the book from Amazon
CLICK FOR THE BREAKUP DOCTOR
BLOGGER GIRL
Meredith Schorr
The Blogger Girl Series (#1)
(From the Henery Press Chick Lit Collection)
What happens when your high school nemesis becomes the shining star in a universe you pretty much saved? Book blogger Kimberly Long is about to find out.
With her blog, she works tirelessly by night to keep the chick lit genre alive, helping squash the claim that it’s dead” once and for all. Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in a Manhattan law firm. While Kim’s day job holds no passion for her, the handsome (and shaving challenged) associate down the hall is another story. Yet another story: Hannah Marshak, one of her most hated high school classmates, has popped onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book that’s turning heads—and pages—across the land.
With their ten-year reunion drawing near, Kim’s coming close to combustion over the hype about Hannah’s book. And as everyone around her seems to be moving on and up, she begins to question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her offline life.
Read all about it and/or grab the book from Amazon
CLICK FOR BLOGGER GIRL
GIRL MEETS CLASS
Karin Gillespie
(from the Henery Press Chick Lit Collection)
The unspooling of Toni Lee Wells’ Tiffany and Wild Turkey lifestyle begins with a trip to the Luckett County Jail drunk tank. Her wealthy family finally gets fed up with her shenanigans. They cut off her monthly allowance but also make her a sweetheart deal: Get a job, keep it for a year, and you’ll receive an early inheritance. Act the fool or get fired, and you’ll lose it for good.
Toni Lee signs up for a fast-track Teacher Corps program. She hopes for an easy teaching gig, but ends up assigned to a high school that churns out more thugs than scholars.
What’s a spoiled Southern belle to do when confronted with a bunch of street-smart students determined to make her life difficult? Luckily a handsome colleague is willing to help her negotiate the rough waters and keep her bed warm at night. But when she gets involved with dark dealings in the school system, she fears she might lose her new beau as well as her inheritance.
Read all about it and/or grab the book from Amazon
CLICK FOR GIRL MEETS CLASS
The Boyfriend Swap Page 28