Page 28 of Unfiltered
Blythe calling hermy girlmelted away Abby’s apprehension. And the wink caused Abby’s stomach to flutter.
“I’m sorry I spoiled it.” Abby looked down at their interlocked hands, hoping to avoid the disappointment on Blythe’s face.
“Not at all.” Blythe wiggled Abby’s hand, so Abby glanced up. “It was all on me.” She nodded toward Ricki. “The genius told me I should tell you, but I was going for candid.”
Ricki nodded and gave Blythe anI-told-you-solook.
The pair’s antics put Abby at ease, and she laughed, releasing some of the tension she’d felt earlier.
“Should we start over?” Blythe asked. “It’s so good to finally meet you. You’re even more gorgeous in person.”
Abby’s cheeks heated.
“Seriously.” Blythe brushed an errant strand of hair off Abby’s forehead. “You have beautiful eyes.” Blythe glanced up at Ricki after she said it.
Something flashed across Ricki’s face that Abby couldn’t read. Decoding the silent communication between the pair would take some time.
“So I’m thinking,” Blythe said, returning her attention to Abby, “we need a grand gesture. I’ve got it,” Blythe said as she snapped her fingers. “Your face needs to light up when you see my sign. You should run toward me, but it should turn into a dance. Then we can embrace. I could even pick you up and spin you in circles.”
Abby swallowed hard. “In front of everyone, you want me running and dancing across the station?”
“Give her a break.” Ricki backhanded Blythe across the shoulder. “Can’t you figure out something more subtle?”
Blythe’s face fell. Then she nodded. “Okay.”
“I’ll do it” fell from Abby’s mouth before she realized what she was saying.
Damn it.Blythe’s puppy-dog expressions could be trouble. It was too late to backtrack now that she’d seen Blythe’s eyes light up.
“Are you sure?” Ricki asked.
“Hey, dumbass.” It was Blythe’s turn to backhand Ricki. The smack landed on Ricki’s thigh. “Don’t talk her out of it.”
“I just want to make sure she’s comfortable with it.” Ricki met Abby’s gaze.
It would be so easy to tell Ricki she wasn’t. Instead, she said, “I’m okay with it.”
“Okay isn’t a ringing endorsement.” Ricki leaned in. “Blythe can be intense, so sometimes you just need to speak up or she’ll steamroll you.”
“Hey! I’m sitting right here. Could you refrain from scaring away my girlfriend the first day I meet her?”
“No, really, I’m good with it.”
“Then let’s do it, so we can get out of here.” Blythe rose to her feet. “We’ll go back to where we were.” She looked up at the ceiling. “Or is there somewhere with better lighting?”
Ricki gazed up, and then her eyes swept the area. She pointed toward a spot not far from the bench. “I think I’ll have you move over here.”
Blythe’s eyes narrowed. “But this is away from everything.” She glanced toward the center of the hall. “Out there seems more dramatic.”
Ricki gave Blythe an uninterested shrug, but there was something intense behind her eyes. “You’re the boss, but thelighting is better here. I can’t make any guarantees how the video will turn out.”
Abby looked between the spaces but couldn’t discern any difference in the lighting. Then again, she wasn’t a video expert. All she knew was she preferred the new location because it would draw much less attention.
After Blythe looked between the two locations several times, she finally said, “Yeah, I think you’re right. The lighting is better.”
Abby looked again and still couldn’t see it, but she was grateful for the change, so she’d keep her mouth shut.
Blythe picked up her poster board and tromped toward the spot Ricki had picked.
