Page 20 of Resisting the Handsome Doctor
He grins and heads to the bar, leaving me alone at the table. I take a breath. Try to process everything that's happened in the last hour.
Owen Harper is here. Owen Harper has been thinking about me for fifteen years. Owen Harper told me he was in love with me.
And I'm sitting here like an idiot, too scared to tell him I feel the same way.
What is wrong with me?
"Ivy Rose?" A woman's voice interrupts my spiral. I look up to find Amanda standing next to the table. She was in our class: cheerleader, honor society, one of those people who was good at everything without seeming to try. We weren't friends, but we weren't not friends either. We just... existed in parallel.
"Hi, Amanda," I say, trying to smile.
"Oh my God, I thought that was you! How are you?" She sits down without being invited, which is very Amanda. "I feel like I haven't seen you since graduation."
"I'm good. Still here in town."
"I heard you work at the library! That's so perfect for you."
I can never tell if comments like that are compliments or insults. Perfect for me because I love books? Or perfect for me because it's quiet and safe and requires minimal human interaction?
"Thanks," I say neutrally. "What about you?"
"I'm in Richmond now. Marketing consultant. It's super busy but I love it." She leans in. "And I saw you dancing with Owen Harper. Tell me everything."
My face goes hot. "There's nothing to tell."
"Girl, please. He was looking at you like you're the only person in the room. And Owen Harper grew up fine." She fans herself dramatically. "Is he single? Are you two together?"
"We're just... catching up."
"Uh huh. Sure." She grins. "Well, good for you. He seems sweet. And those glasses? Very sexy professor."
"He's a doctor, actually."
"Even better." She glances over her shoulder. "Oh, there's Sarah. I should go say hi. But we should get coffee or something before I leave town! I want to hear all about you and Dr. McDreamy."
She's gone before I can correct her, swept up in a hug with Sarah. I sit there, trying to process the conversation. Amanda thinks Owen is into me. Amanda, who dated the captain of the football team and the student body president and probably half the lacrosse team, thinks Owen Harper is looking at me like I'm special.
Maybe I'm not imagining this.
Maybe this is actually real.
"Hey." Owen slides back into his seat, setting down two glasses of wine. "You look shell-shocked. What happened?"
"Amanda happened."
"Ah. What did she want?"
"To tell me you're hot and I should lock that down before someone else does."
He chokes on his wine. "She said that?"
"More or less."
"Huh." He's trying not to smile. "And what did you say?"
"That we're just catching up."
"Are we?"
