The Funny Thing about Love: Feel Good Sweet Romance stories

by Laura Burton

  She scrunched the side of her face and shook her head. “Sorry, honey. Those tickets are non-transferable.”

  “They don’t even have my name on them.”

  She raised her brows. “They don’t? Let me see.” She held out her hand.

  Kayson shoved the envelope at her. She plucked the paper from the envelope and pursed her lips. “What was your name again? I’m sure it’s on here somewhere.”

  He gave her a smug look. “Kayson Atwood.”

  She pulled a pen from her ear and stuck out her tongue. Turning her back to him, she placed the paper on the counter and scribbled something. She faced him again, tapping the pen on her lower lip. Her eyes lit up as she met his confused stare.

  “Ah ha. Here it is. Kayson Atwood.” She poked the paper with her pen. “Clear as day. Sorry, buddy. Like I said, non-transferable.”

  Kayson’s brows rose. “What? Where?” He snatched the paper from her hand. In blue ink, she’d written his name with her girly handwriting. His eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t count.”

  The girl leaned over and tapped the paper. On the line where she’d written his name was the word ‘Name.’ “I think it does. Now if you’d be so kind as to vacate, my friends will be here soon, and I still have to get the snacks ready.”

  Kayson’s mouth dropped open. “But I can’t accept—”

  “Non-transferable,” she sang and spun him around to push him toward the door. “Don’t you have some studying to do?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Well then, you better get to work.”

  He found himself in the hall, her apartment door shut behind him, the envelope still in his hand.

  Chapter 4

  Olive smiled as she leaned against the closed door. Boy, that guy was cute. If she wasn’t set on moving to Idaho, she might have seen where things could go. Really, who cleans up a mess like she’d left? The linoleum could have handled bubbles on it for a few hours, and she’d already cleaned up the standing water. Worst case scenario, Olive would have had to mop up residue from popped bubbles.

  She pushed off from the door and headed back into the kitchen. Guests would be arriving in the next thirty minutes. Since she didn’t have to mop up, she had more time to straighten up the living room.

  The boy downstairs continued to fill her thoughts. It had to be because she had a face to put with all the complaints she’d heard from Grams. Those milk chocolate eyes of his could make any girl melt. He just needed to smile more.

  In no time, a knock sounded on the door. For the next two and a half hours, she half-listened as the members of her book club argued over whether the author wrote the book with one theme or another. Someone would comment on how much they connected with one character, and the others would vehemently agree they felt the same thing.

  Through it all, Olive zoned out. She’d smile, nod, and sip her water while wondering what Kayson was up to. Probably studying. What would he do if she popped over for a visit? Oh, he’d hate that for sure. Disappointment settled on her shoulders. She should have handled things differently this morning. Maybe then she could have befriended him instead of antagonizing him.

  Olive straightened in her seat. She could help him. She’d helped Forest study for lots of tests in the medical field. She could probably pass a few with all the information she’d memorized. Kayson might be too proud to accept a gift he thought she couldn’t afford, but something told her he wouldn’t refuse a study buddy.

  She glanced around the room at her friends. Based on the last couple of get-togethers, they’d stick around for another thirty minutes at least. Olive stretched her arms above her head and gave an exaggerated yawn.

  “Oh, Olive, I’m sorry. You said you had a rough day. I’m sure you’re exhausted.” Krista pouted out her lower lip. “Ladies, what do you say we call this one a little early?”

  The women murmured in agreement. Olive frowned at them. “Are you sure? I’d hate to kick you out when you haven’t had a chance to talk about which character would make the best boyfriend.”

  A few giggles rippled through the group. “I think we can all agree the bobcat shifter is the best fictional boyfriend in this particular novel,” one of the girls commented.

  They gathered their things, and Olive ushered the group to the door. Krista patted Olive on her forearm. “This was lovely, Olive. Thank you for hosting this month.”

  “My pleasure.” She waved at the girls as they wandered down the hall. When the last one entered the elevator and the doors slid shut, Olive closed her door and hurried down the hall toward the stairs. It was only eight. Kayson should still be up.

  When she got to his door, she hesitated, her fist hovering. What was she doing? She’d already messed up his morning with her shenanigans. Then she’d offended him with her gift. Where was this desire to see him coming from?

  Olive blew out a breath, shook her head, and turned on her heel. She was being ridiculous.

  The doorknob behind her clicked. She turned as the door opened. Kayson’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “What do you need? Let me guess, your microwave blew up because you put some tinfoil in there to scare off an alien invasion.”

  Her mouth popped open, a short laugh escaping from her lips. “What? Where did that come from?”

  Kayson folded his arms and leaned against the doorjamb, his lips twitching into a smile. “You mean you don’t believe in aliens? I could have sworn it was totally up your alley. Based on the kinds of literature you read, I wouldn’t be surprised if you said you believed in werewolves too.”

  Warmth spread across her face. For once, she was speechless.

  Kayson chuckled. “I’m kidding.” He nodded his head once. “I’d like to believe you’re here to take back the tickets you forced on me, but somehow I don’t think that’s likely. So what are you doing here?”

  Olive bit her lower lip. “I was going to come offer you something, but the more I think about it, the crazier it sounds.”

  His smile widened. “Crazier than the day I’ve had so far? Somehow I doubt that.”

  “Regardless, I’ve thought better of it. I’ll leave you to study in peace.”

  Kayson’s hands dropped to his sides, the smile diminishing.

  Olive turned to leave but stopped. Something kept her rooted to her spot. She sighed and faced him again. “Okay, I was going to offer to help you study. You said you needed to study for a certification test?”

  “You’re kidding, right? Do you even work in the medical field?”

  “Well, no, but—”

  He cleared his throat. “Thanks, but I don’t need the mess from this morning blending in with the most important test of my life.”

  Olive fought the urge to feel hurt. She furrowed her brows and stepped closer. “I’ll have you know my brother is doing his residency right now, and I was the one who helped him study for every test he took during medical school. I probably know more about the terms you’re studying than you do. But hey, we wouldn’t want an explosion of bubbles dampening your perfect opportunity to pass, now would we?” Olive turned and made it five steps before he spoke.

  “Wait.”

  She stood rigid, waiting for him to go on.

  “Where is your brother doing his residency?”

  She turned and smiled. “Stanford, why?”

  Kayson raised his eyebrows, then pulled them together. “You really think you could help me?”

  Olive placed a hand on her hip and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Can a penguin teach a fish to fly?”

  His eyes narrowed. “What does that even mean?”

  She laughed. “I don’t know. It’s something my grams says.” She walked toward him. “Of course I can help. I wouldn’t offer if I couldn’t.”

  He shifted. “I don’t know…”

  “Suit yourself.” She moved to leave. His hand shot out and grasped her upper arm. Olive looked down where the warmth was spreading up her arm.

  Kayson let go and ran his hand thr
ough his brown hair. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” She fought back a smile. “Don’t sound so excited.”

  “Thank you. I really need to pass this test. If I fail, I have to wait almost two months to take it again. They won’t hold the position for me at the hospital.”

  “You said you have to take it this weekend, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay, so we’ll study for the next couple nights, and by the time Saturday rolls around, you’ll be sure to ace it. I only have one condition.”

  Confusion flickered over his face. “Okay?”

  “You can’t fall in love with me.” She made sure to keep a straight face. As long as this remained a friendship, she could move to Idaho without any regret. His eyes widened, and a faint hint of color pinked his cheeks. Then a small grin flickered across his features as he shook his head.

  “That won’t be a problem.”

  She smiled. “Good. I’ll stop by tomorrow after work.” She turned and headed toward the stairs. The spot where he’d touched her still tingled. Weird. Using her right hand, she rubbed the area.

  She didn’t have any concerns about forming an attachment to Kayson, however, the way her body reacted gave her some doubts.

  Chapter 5

  Kayson watched the girl head down the hall until she disappeared. Man, that chick was nuts. What made her think he’d fall for her anyway? They couldn’t be more opposite than if they came from different planets.

  Besides, he wasn’t in the market. Due to his career change, his social life had been put on hold—which was just the way he wanted it.

  He went inside and shut the door, pausing as the door clicked behind him. He still didn’t know her name. Kayson smacked his forehead. This would be embarrassing. Asking her name now would be awkward.

  Calling the landlord and asking would get him nowhere. He could give her a nickname, but that would be even worse. Maybe she’d figure out she hadn’t introduced herself and tell him. A guy could hope, couldn’t he?

  While at work, his brain remained in a fog. Even doing his rounds became difficult. The crazy girl was outrageously pretty, but she acted as though she had no idea. From their conversations, he could tell she was a happy person. Outward happiness was something he didn’t prioritize, and it threw him off guard to see her so chipper. And her laugh—the way it reverberated off the walls as if it had a mind of its own—made him look forward to hearing it again.

  They hadn’t discussed what time she would come or if he needed to provide snacks. What was he supposed to expect from this get-together? And why would she tell him he couldn’t fall for her? That seemed a little out there. Who had the self-confidence to tell someone they barely knew that they couldn’t develop feelings for one another?

  “Hey, Atwood, have you checked the vitals for room 237 yet?” His supervisor looked up from her clipboard.

  Kayson grimaced. “Heading that way now.” If he wasn’t careful, he’d lose the promotion before he got it.

  The remainder of the day continued with small bumps, all of which could have been avoided if he could have banished that girl from his head. When he clocked out, relief and exhaustion washed over him, to be replaced with slight trepidation. He shouldn’t have accepted her help. She would very likely make things worse. If the way his day had gone was any indication, he needed to rescind his acceptance of her offer before there was no going back.

  Kayson stepped off the bus at the corner by his apartment building. Heat surrounded him, radiating from the pavement, making his trek to the building more sluggish. He’d head up to her place and tell her no thanks. Then he’d button down and knock out a few hours of flash cards and reading.

  As he came to the brick building, he noticed the list of names for the first time. Each name was associated with a number. His finger trailed to his apartment. Atwood. Hmm, how long had this been here? His eyes dragged the length of the tenants until it came to her apartment number. Greene. Not that it mattered much. They wouldn’t be working together. He’d accept the tickets and call it even.

  He tugged on the door to the apartment building and headed to her floor. He knocked a few times and waited about five minutes before he gave up. She must still be at work. He’d have to listen for her footsteps on the squeaky floorboards. Maybe he could head her off before she came to his place.

  Kayson hopped on the elevator and pushed the button for the second level. He got out, rounded the corner…and came face to face with her.

  She smiled. “Oh good, you’re here. I guess you got off later than I did today. When I came down to get started and you weren’t here, I figured I would wait. But then I got hungry. So I was going to get us some study snacks. I could still go get some, if you don’t have any. But if I know people—and I do—I’d guess you have zero junk food.”

  Man, she talked fast. He opened his mouth, but she continued before he could comment.

  “I mean, I like fresh fruit and vegetables as much as the next person, but I can’t focus on studying medical stuff without some good ol’ potato chips and dip. Do you have dip? Because I was thinking I’d get that yummy ranch stuff. Oh, and you know what else is really tasty for studying?”

  He opened his mouth again.

  “Gummy worms. I don’t know why. Maybe they’re magic or something.” She grinned at him. “I’m sorry, you were going to say something.”

  “Actually, I was going to talk to you about tonight.”

  “Am I too early? I can come back in a little while—with the snacks, of course.”

  Kayson shook his head. “No, I was thinking tonight might not work out.”

  She tilted her head to the side, her hazel eyes sparkling. “Oh, Kayson. Are you scared of breaking the rules?”

  “No. It’s not that at all, it’s—”

  “Then I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes. That will give you a chance to settle in and get your study stuff ready. Do you like gummy worms? Or should I get something else? Carrot sticks?”

  Kayson sighed. He wasn’t going to get out of this. It was only for a couple of days, right? He nodded. “Just get whatever.”

  She bounded down the hall toward the stairs. The keys in his hand clinked as he lifted them to the doorknob. Only a couple of days.

  He entered his apartment, dropped his bag by the door, and wandered to the kitchen. From his fridge, he pulled out the pitcher of filtered water and poured himself a glass. She was right, of course. He didn’t have a lot of junk food in his apartment, mostly because he worked in the medical field and knew the dangers of consuming the processed crap that went into those kinds of snacks. Greene could get all the high-sugar poison she wanted for this study session. He’d stick with water.

  A quiet knock sounded at the door. Kayson made it halfway across the living room before the door opened. Greene backed into the apartment, plastic bags hanging from her arms and a large soda in each hand. She turned to face him, a wide smile on her face.

  “I got you a Diet Coke.”

  He motioned to the glass of ice water on the coffee table. “I’m good with that.”

  She waved her hand through the air. “Nonsense. Caffeine will help you focus and get more work done.”

  Kayson snorted. “Says who?”

  “Personal experience.”

  “Is that why you talk like a rabbit with ADHD?”

  Greene put the bags down, her eyes wide and her mouth open. “Is that any way to talk to someone with a disorder?”

  Heat flickered up his neck and spread across his face. “What? You have… I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

  Her shocked expression melted, and peals of giggles escaped her lips. “I’m messing with you, Kayson. I mean, yeah, I had it as a kid. But I don’t think it has anything to do with the way I talk. With how many people you interact with, I’d wager some of them struggled with it as a kid too.”

  Kayson rubbed the back of his neck. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “Drink the soda, or
don’t. You’re not going to hurt my feelings. I figured you might want a treat, because when we get started, there is…” Her voice turned ominous. “No. Turning. Back.”

  Kayson met her gaze and looked away. She was totally nutty.

  She perked up and grabbed the bags from the floor. “I’m going to put these in the kitchen. You get situated, and then we’ll get started.” She wandered off as if she’d been friends with him for years and knew her way around the place. Granted, their apartments were similar enough, and it would be weird if she didn’t know where she was going.

  Kayson picked up a book from the coffee table that lay next to the king-sized soda. His mouth watered. He hadn’t had soda since before his medical training days. He used to be a big Coke fan. He looked toward the kitchen. Greene wasn’t back yet. Food preparation sounds crinkled and rattled from that direction. His eyes returned to the large plastic cup. Maybe a sip wouldn’t hurt.

  He sat on the couch and brought the red straw to his lips. The crisp, biting liquid rushed into his mouth. It bubbled and bit at the back of his throat. So familiar and foreign at the same time. Kayson took another swig.

  “I knew it!”

  He jumped and dropped the cup.. The flimsy plastic lid popped off, and cold liquid sloshed over his lap. He grabbed the cup, rescuing half the Coke, and scowled at Greene. “Do you always sneak up on people or just me?”

  Her wide smile showed off her perfect pearly whites. “Have I snuck up on you before? I don’t recall. If this is the reaction I get, I’ll do it more often.” She placed her hand over her mouth, a muffled laugh seeping through her fingers. “Where’s a towel? I’ll help you clean up.”

  “Middle drawer on the right side of the stove.”

  Greene retreated again as Kayson surveyed the damage. Surprisingly, the couch was untouched, but his sweatpants were covered. Greene returned and tossed a towel at him.

  “Go ahead and clean up. I’ll wait out here.”