“Yes, vaguely.”
“The owners finally died, and Julian’s handling the sale of the house for their kids. They’re having a huge estate sale in a few weeks and he’s giving us first dibs.”
“Awesome! How soon can we go?”
“He said the kids want to come get pictures and sentimental stuff first, but he’s going to let me know.”
This is refreshing. The store has been looking a little empty since we decorated Kendall’s house. Maybe we’ll have some new stuff to show Rhodes next time he comes.
I check myself. This is bad. This is very, very bad. I don’t need to be thinking about Rhodes. I have Garrett.
I look at my phone and suddenly realize I haven’t heard from—nor thought about hearing from—Garrett today until this very moment.
Huh. That’s a change.
I go out to the floor with my duster, straighten up a few things, and help a customer looking for a lamp. Once the day is done, I take Nana home as usual and hide in my room, trying not to think about Rhodes.
Of course, the group text I have with Kendall, Patsy, and Sistine starts blowing up. Sistine and Kendall fill Patsy in on my “big date,” then they pester me until I finally respond that I don’t want to talk about it. Patsy vows not to miss the next girls’ night, though I know this is a tall order since she has five small boys at home.
Nana and I bake chicken and asparagus and eat dinner while watching Hallmark movies. She doesn’t say anything else about Rhodes, thankfully.
After we eat, I make sure she takes her meds before I return to my room, where I put on some music (Kacey Musgraves, of course), and make the mistake of going down an online rabbit hole to stalk Rhodes.
I find the website for his architecture firm, which includes an oh-so-sexy photo of him in front of a Victorian home. His arms are crossed and his body somehow looks even taller than in person. The blue tie he’s wearing makes his eyes pop, and he has a serious but approachable expression on his face.
I can’t believe this guy ever asked me out. He’s big-city, hyper-educated, smoldering-sexy professional man. I’m small-town, live-with-my-nana, awkward chubby girl. No wonder he didn’t ask for my number.
I move to social media. I find his professional sites, which have a few photos of historic homes he’s worked on. His personal profiles are scant at best, though I did find his ex-wife in an old photo with a link to her profile. While it was set to private, I could see a profile picture of her with their son. He looks young in the picture, but I can definitely see the resemblance between him and Rhodes. He has the same dark hair and bright eyes, though the shape of his face is more like his mom’s. The ex-wife is beautiful, of course. She’s short and toned, like she spends a lot of time at the gym.
I do not.
This leaves me even more confused. I look nothing like this woman. Maybe he doesn’t have a type?
I need to stop obsessing. It’s becoming unhealthy.
* * *
Aweek goes by, and of course I don’t hear anything from Rhodes, though Garrett texts a few times to let me know he’s thinking about me.
On Saturday night, I meet up with Sistine, Kendall, and Patsy for drinks at Cattywampus.
“I have one hour,” says Patsy when she sits down, her bleach-blonde hair bouncing over her bare shoulders. “Garion is helping his brother dig a pit to roast a hog and Mama can only watch the kids until seven. So, Micah, spit it out. What happened with Mr. Sexy Architect Man?”
I roll my eyes and look at the other two, who give me doe eyes as they drink their beer. I go through the whole spiel about how we met, running into him here at the brewery, and lunch the next day.
“He sounds like a dream!” says Patsy.
“You should see him,” says Sistine.
“Is he hotter than Kendall’s movie star man?”
Kendall rolls her eyes.
“Comparable,” answers Sistine. “Seriously. He’s gorgeous.”
“Well, he’s gotta be better than Garrett the Douchebag. I heard he stood you up the other night after you’d already driven all the way to Montgomery.”
Again, I give Sistine and Kendall the stink eye. “He was busy.”
