“I’m so glad this was such a great night,” I said. “I knew it would be, but it was even better than I imagined.”
“Me too,” she said. “It was so fun. I thought it would be stressful having this many people here, but I just truly enjoyed it.”
“You’re a natural,” I said.
“Thank you,” she answered.
We talked about the evening’s events. I told her about the people who left with a whole tray of food, and she shared stories about an older couple who had put on a show on the dance floor. We kept sharing stories until I looked at my watch and realized it was three in the morning.
“Oh my goodness, I’ve overstayed my welcome,” I said, standing up.
“Not possible,” Brenna said, standing up next to me.
I looked at her and saw in her eyes that she truly meant what she had just said.
I stepped towards her, gently took her face in my hands, leaned down, and kissed her. A rush of emotion surged through me as she kissed me back. Slowly, I pulled away.
“Good night, my lovely Brenna,” I said.
“Good night, Josh,” she answered.
I turned and walked down the stairs, feeling more conflicted than ever. The last thing I wanted to do was leave at that moment, but I also knew the last thing I should do was stay.
Chapter 19
Brenna
I wrapped the blanket around me and looked out at the ocean. It was three hours before I had to be awake, but I couldn't sleep. I always enjoyed sitting out on the deck and gathering my thoughts, and never more so than that morning.
The party the night before had been wonderful. It was great to be surrounded by so many people who were supportive of what I was doing, and there had been so much excitement in the air. I leaned back, closed my eyes, and pictured the way the night had ended.
Josh and I had kissed.
After all this time, we had finally acted on the feelings and attraction that were so strong between us. Technically, he had kissed me, but I had kissed him back, and we were both equally participating in the moment. I opened my eyes and sighed, knowing that we had both stopped at the same time. I was pretty certain he was feeling just as torn as I was that morning.
As much as I had enjoyed every moment of the kiss, I didn't know what to think about it or what would happen next. I took a sip of my coffee, leaned back, and closed my eyes again. I wasn’t surprised when my phone buzzed five minutes later, and I immediately knew that Josh had sent me a text.
I grabbed my phone and felt a wave of relief wash over me as I read his sweet and very wise message:
Good morning, Beautiful. Last night was lovely. You are lovely. However, as much as I enjoyed our kiss, we need to be wise. We both have so many other responsibilities right now and so many other areas needing our attention, and I would hate to have our incredible friendship be a casualty of our circumstances. I will see you later today.
I smiled as I wrote my response:
Thank you so much for this message. We are both on the same page. About everything. See you soon.
I stood up and went back to my room, knowing that I would be able to finally get the rest I needed. As I drifted off to sleep, I thought about his words and marveled at his ability to so perfectly address the situation. As delightful as it had been, it was not the time, and we could not move forward.
***
“Shake Shack?” Josh said. “You can choose any restaurant in the greater Los Angeles area, and you choose Shake Shack?”
I nodded, giggling. “Of course,” I said. “It’s only right.”
It was Friday night, and Josh and Rylan were taking me out for dinner to celebrate my first week of being in business. Josh had told me to pick the place, and I knew exactly where it had to be.
“You’re right,” Josh said, smiling. “We have to do it. Do you want to eat at the beach?”
“Of course.”
