Page 57 of Better Watch Out
“The bodyguard I nearly pepper-sprayed.” There was an audible gasp that made Frannie hang her head. “I know. I know.I know. Calvin and I just broke up and these kinds of feelings are all probably rebound feelings or I’m just really pathetic, and there should definitely be a waiting period after breakups, right? Because what kind of girl does that make me look like if I’m entertaining thoughts about a man I’ve just met and then he admitted that Ryan told him not to tell me about the wholeyour life is in danger—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Vivian interrupted. “First, take a breath.”
Frannie did, but the jittery feelings she’d been having all day while breathing Andrew’s spicy cologne didn’t subside. And she would never admit that she’d sniffed her scarf more than once, inhaling the lingering effects of him coming to her rescue once more.
“Second, what do you meanyour life is in danger?”
After a long intake of breath, Frannie spilled the details of her time with Andrew, about how he volunteered to hang out with her and cross things off her bucket list and how he asked to take over her list, unexpectedly surprising her with the church and their stroll through Dyker Heights. Vivian oohed and aahed throughout and released a happy sigh until Frannie got to the part about nearly getting hit by a car. She finished off her story with the details about the mistaken identity and Ryan’s decision to keep it from Frannie and Andrew’s confession.
“Whoa.” Vivian exhaled the word. “Okay, I’m not excusing Ryan’s choice to keep you in the dark but let’s handle the easy thing first because I’m waiting for the part where falling for Andrew is a problem.”
“Vivian. I barely know the guy. I shouldn’t be daydreaming about the warm fuzzies he gives me every time he holds my hand.”
“He held your hand?” Frannie pulled the phone away from Vivian’s shrieky gasp that echoed in her ear. “You didn’t mention hand holding.”
“It wasn’thand holdinghand holding, it was him making sure I didn’t slip and break my neck because I chose to wear heels in snowy conditions like an insane person.” Frannie chose to keep the hand holding in the car to herself because she wasn’t quite sure how to explain that one away.
“So, his chivalry gave you warm fuzzies. Again, I’m waiting for the problem.”
Frannie rolled her eyes. “Maybe I should be talking to Ryan. He’d see the problem.”
“Of course he would—he’s your obnoxiously overprotective brother.”
“Ah, so you agree with me that Ryan’s obnoxious.”
“No.” Vivian snickered. “Okay, maybe he pushes the boundaries of what’s normal but only because he loves us the way Buddy the Elf loves Santa.”
“Right.” Frannie snorted. “That’s problem number two. Andrew’s just like Ryan. They both decided I couldn’t handle the truth and I don’t need another overprotective brother. One is enough.”
“Let me ask you something. If Ryan was here in the States what do you think he would’ve done the second he found out about Calvin breaking up with you?”
“Quietly put a hit out?”
Vivian laughed. “He would’ve thought about it that’s for sure, but my guess is that he’d have flown to New York and brought you home, either back to Georgia or here to D.C.”
Frannie groaned. “You’re right.”
“If Andrew really wanted to keep you safe, if he wasreallylike Ryan, he probably would’ve come up with a dozen reasons why you shouldn’t leave your hotel. But he didn’t. He took you out and helped you have what sounds like the most amazing weekend ever despite the potential threat. The only time I’ve witnessed Ryan take a calculated risk like that—it was for someone he liked. A lot.”
Thesomeonewas Vivian and Frannie knew how much Ryan loved her, so the weight behind his decision to trust Vivian’s ability to walk into a dangerous situation and take care of herself showed just how much faith he had in her. Was the same true for Andrew?
“Now that we’ve nixed the idea that Andrew is like Ryan,” Vivian said, as though the answer to Frannie’s question was crystal clear. “What’s stopping you from at least admitting to yourself that maybe these feelings are something worth looking into?”
This answer wasn’t so easy to explain even if she could accept Andrew’s faith in her.
“Um, you heard I’m newly dumped, right?” She expected the words to be bitter on her tongue but instead they were rather bland, like she was almost numb to the feelings they should’ve brought up. “And let’s not forget he lives here in NYC and if Ryan’s Buddy the Elf, then this place might as well be as far as the seven levels of candy-cane forest and past the sea of twirly-swirly gumdrops.”
“Your addiction to Christmas movies is frightening.”
“Or impressive,” Frannie teased back. “Be warned I will train Jisoo up to follow in my ways.”
“What’s impressive is your ability to change the subject. Let’s just pretend for a second that your brother and you don’t live in Candy Land, are you getting attraction vibes from Andrew?”
“Ew.” She scrunched her nose. “I despise you putting the board game I play with my niece and the wordsattraction vibesin the same sentence. I’ll never look at the game the same way again.”
“Frannie.” The playful irritation in Vivian’s voice made her laugh. “Why are you avoiding the question?
A bubble of frustration filled Frannie’s chest. She swung her legs off the couch and stood. “Because it feels weird. Three days ago I was expecting an engagement—”
