Poppy looks at me over Elle’s shoulder as Elle hugs her goodbye.
Henley and Tru already left. Tru is pregnant and danced until she was too sleepy to keep going. Penn found a girl to make out with and probably took her upstairs.
And then it’s just Poppy and me.
We walk to the lobby and Poppy shivers. If we’d been dancing, my arms would’ve been around her, but it feels weird now to step in and do that.
“That was fun,” she says. “I don’t know why I’m so surprised that you can dance like that. You’re great out on the field, makes sense you’d be good at dancing too.”
“You’re good at it too,” I say and then feel silly. I’m the worst at small talk.
She laughs. “I’m actually not good at it. You made it easy out there.”
Now I really don’t know what to say. She stops and I realize I’ve walked her to the reception desk.
“Thanks for dancing with me,” she says softly. “I had thought earlier that you?—”
When she doesn’t say anything for a long pause, I blink. “That I what?”
“That you don’t like me very much,” she blurts out.
Her cheeks bloom and she looks like she wants to take it back, but I’m still surprised by her candor…and that she would assume I don’t like her.
“I like you fine,” I say.
She snorts and my head tilts as I study her.
“Such high praise,” she says.
“It actually is coming from me,” I finally say.
“Why is that?”
It takes me a few moments to answer and when I do, I try to say it as simply as possible.
“I don’t do this,” I say, pointing between the two of us.
“Do what, exactly?”
I sigh and look up around the lobby. The lodge is beautiful every day, but they’ve gone all out for this wedding. The flowers and lights are everywhere. When I look at Poppy again, she’s still watching me tentatively. It was much easier to dance with her than it is to have this conversation.
She’s so pretty it fucking hurts.
She looks radiant in the glow of the lights. Her long blonde hair nearly reaches her waist and shimmers with every turn of her head. Her eyes hold mischief and warmth, drawing people in effortlessly.
If she can draw me in, she can draw in anyone.
Her dress clings to her curves in all the right ways, the color making her blue eyes even more vivid. Her smile actually makes me want to smile back. It’s natural, unforced, and lights up her whole face. She’s not just pretty; if that were it, she wouldn’t affect me like this. She’s captivating, every part of her.
I shouldn’t have gone near her.
I clear my throat and take a deep breath.
“I’m close to my friends and their girlfriends and kids, but otherwise…I don’t…I’m not looking for...” My teeth clench and I shake my head. “Friends,” I finish.
“Why is that?”
“Long story.”
