I shook my head at her. “I think you’re reading way too much into this.”
“I don’t think you’re reading enough into it.” She sat back into her chair. “So when do you see Justin again?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Next week maybe?”
“You didn’t want to see him sooner? You dragged me all the way to Minnesota, extorted me and everything to get here.”
“I just feel kind of bad taking up his time when I know it’s not going to lead anywhere and I’m leaving in a few weeks.”
“Maybe he wants you to take up his time.”
I looked down at Stuffie. “He did say he wanted to show me around. I don’t know. I might take him up on it.”
My phone vibrated, and I pulled it out to look at it. I couldn’t help but note that the thought that it might be Mom made me feel preemptively exhausted.
But it wasn’t Mom. It was Justin. “Oh my God…”
“What?” Maddy said. “What is it?”
“Justin sent me an exit interview.”
“He didn’t.”
I scanned it, laughing. Then I read it out loud.
1. On a scale from Awkward to Charming, how would you rate Justin’s performance?
2. At any point during the date did you experience the following symptoms:
Butterflies in your stomach
Flushing and heating of the cheeks
Ringing in the ears
Unexplained arousal
Uncontrollable laughter
Fluttering of the heart
3. On a Scale from 1–10, how likely would you be to date Justin again if the breaking the curse thing wasn’t a factor?
4. What words would you use to describe your date with Justin?
5. Any further comments?
Maddy was cracking up. “I’ve gotta give it to him, he does put in the effort.”
I was smiling at my screen. “Yeah, he does.”
“That was nice of him to stay with you.”
It was nice. Justin had impressed me. He was a little more than I’d expected, in more ways than one.
“So?” Maddy said. “If you weren’t breaking a curse together, how likely would you be to date him again?”
I twisted my lips thinking about it. Then I checked 10.
CHAPTER 12 JUSTIN
When I got to my apartment, Brad was in my kitchen eating leftovers out of my fridge.
“Hey,” I said, coming in, my dog jumping at my feet. “You didn’t have to wait for me.”
“I’m not. I’m having dinner.” He took a bite out of the pulled pork sandwich he’d put together. He nodded at it while he chewed. “I don’t miss your ass much, but I do miss your cooking,” he said.
I smirked. “I had grilled lobster for dinner. In the backyard of a mansion on Lake Minnetonka.”
“Daaaamn, you are pulling out all the stops for that girl.”
I sat down on my office chair and my dog hopped in my lap. “No, it’s a long story.”
He took another bite, leaning on the counter. “How was it? Do you like her?”
“I don’t think ‘like’ covers it,” I said, petting my dog.
“Reeeallly?”
