When You Smile by Melissa Brayden

Author:Melissa Brayden [Brayden, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2024-06-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Taryn walked into her apartment, closed the door, and stared at Caz and Sasha, who were seated on the floor, textbooks open. “Can everyone drop what they’re doing and give me the best advice you’ve ever given anyone? I have girl problems.”

“Don’t we all,” Sasha said, Red Bull frozen on the way to her lips.

Taryn also went still. “You have girl problems?”

“Newly. Didn’t even know that was possible, but there was one at the vend-a-snack on the second floor who I’m pretty sure is my soulmate, but I don’t know which room she lives in. The mystery is intense.”

“Start knocking on doors in the name of love,” Caz deadpanned with a shrug.

Taryn pointed. “That’s what I need. Flat-out practical wisdom. Door knocking will produce the snack girl. But how do I get my babysitter to tell me her true feelings for me when I’m starting to suspect they’re beyond just friendly?”

“I think you just one-upped me,” Sasha said. “A babysitter trumps an unknown hungry girl.”

“I can agree with that.” Caz nodded. “Wait. What happened to the photography mentor? I thought she was who you were mixing and mingling with these days. The babysitter is straight.”

“I need to take notes,” Sasha said. “There are a lot of angles here.”

Taryn blinked. The reference to Ashley threw her because she’d honestly not thought about her at all since Charlie had gone home from their tree-watching session. That had to say something.

“Nothing happened to Ashley. She’s all well and good, but it’s Charlie who is making my head spin, and I need a de-spinner.”

Caz tilted her head. “Say more words.”

“We need context,” Sasha said, touching the floor with one finger. “My babysitter was sixty-two years old and not datable, so I find this confusing.”

“Well, let me help. She’s twenty-six, beautiful, kind, smart, and good at everything. I want to spend as many minutes as possible with her, and the more I do that, the more minutes I crave.”

Caz nodded sagely as if to say right on. Sasha pointed. “How can I sign up for a babysitter like that?”

“You can’t. She’s rare and amazing and also really confusing. That’s the problem. We were this close to having a real conversation about whatever it is that’s bubbling between us—”

“I applaud the use of bubbling.” Caz jotted a note in her phone.

“—when one of her students interrupted.”

“She teaches, too?” Caz asked and fanned herself. “This just gets hotter and hotter. Maybe I need to start swiping right on grad students so I can have hot and sophisticated problems, too.”

“Hot and sophisticated is not off base.” She shifted her lips to the side. “Can’t vouch for other grad students, but with us? Everything feels very close to igniting. Yet it doesn’t, and there are good reasons for that. Did I mention she’s practically engaged to a guy who thinks he’s a better writer than she is?”

“We hate him,” Sasha said automatically.

“Well, we’re definitely not rooting for him,” Caz said, a little more tempered. “I think you set up another time to speak with her.

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