Page 67 of Bridesmaid Undercover
Everly:Of course. Let me know if there’s anything else you need. Just take care of Brody for now and I got you.
Maggie:Thank you, Everly.
When I stick my phone back in my purse, Hardy asks, “Everything okay?”
“Yes. Maggie was just thanking us again. She mentioned how grateful she was that Brody was with us, and I keep thinking, what would have happened if he got sick and he was alone? What would he have done?”
“Can’t think about that kind of stuff.” Hardy shakes his head. “Mainly because worrying about the what-ifs is never productive.”
“You’re right,” I say.
He leans in closer. “And also because we’re both people who live alone and thinking about that shit is scary.”
For some reason that makes me laugh. “Yeah, makes me almost want to ask Tomothy if he’s interested in date number two.”
Hardy shakes his head. “Nothing should ever drive you into his arms again…ever. Burst appendix and all.”
“When I sayno one ever wants to share pizza with me, I’m not kidding,” Hardy says as he picks up a piece from our shared pie. The Uber dropped us off at a hole-in-the wall Italian place downtown, and we may as well be inLady and the Tramp, justminus the spaghetti. “They always say pineapple isn’t supposed to be on pizza, but I don’t agree.”
“I’ve never had just pineapple, it’s always accompanied by ham or pepperoni, but I’m not opposed to this. It’s sweet, and the side of barbeque sauce is a nice surprise.”
“Good, right?” Hardy asks, waggling his brows.
“I would say more along the lines of interesting.”
“Hey, I’ll take it,” he says with a smile. “Maple never liked pineapple on pizza.”
Which makes me a better fit for Hardy than she is, but we’re not going to mention that or make this a competition because Maple is actually really sweet.
But just for my own personal record and satisfaction…ha, Maple, I can share a pizza with Hardy, and you can’t.
Okay, pettiness is over.
“Shame,” I say. “Because it’s good. The dipping sauce I’m still adjusting to.”
“Hang out with me some more and I’ll win you over.” He winks.
Boy, you have already won me over.
You won me over months ago.
After he swallows and takes a sip of his drink, he says, “So, tell me about your day.”
“Pretty sure you know about my day,” I say.
“Yeah, but you’re not eating dinner alone tonight, so act like I don’t know anything about what happened today.”
Well…that makes my heart nearly beat out of my chest as I look into his perfectly blue eyes. With comments like that, he’s making it next to impossible for me to even think about anyone else but him.
“Come on,” he says. “Indulge me.” He then clears his throat. “Hey, Everly. Nice to see you for the first time today. Tell me,how was your day? Any highs, any lows? Anything you want to share?”
I smirk and play along. “Hello, Hardy. It is great to see you for the first time today.”
He leans in and whispers, “Well done.”
“Thanks.” I chuckle and then get back into character. “Wow, what a day. You’ll never believe it.”
“Sounds intriguing—tell me what happened.”
