Hopeless Romantic

by Georgia Beers

  Are you thinking of getting a cat? Leah asked a little while later.

  I’m just alone on my couch and wanted something to cuddle with. Teddi sent her response without actually thinking about it, then winced as she read it back. Waited for Leah. And waited. And waited. The dots bounced, disappeared, bounced again. Teddi waited some more, nibbling on her bottom lip and berating herself for being so transparent.

  Finally, the text came: I have lots of suggestions, but a cat is a very good choice. And then came a wink emoji. A wink.

  Teddi exhaled in relief. One day, you’ll have to tell me.

  Definitely.

  They talked into the night, stopping so Leah could drive herself home. Teddi was in bed, curled up under the covers, television on, but no lights, absolutely not waiting for Leah’s next text.

  The Holiday is on, Teddi texted before she could think too much about what it meant. Right up your alley.

  OMG, I love that one! What channel? Once they were both watching, Leah added, Kate Winslet is just adorable in this. I want to hug her.

  I can agree with that.

  You’ve seen this? I’m impressed.

  Teddi grinned. I have.

  They watched together, texting occasionally, commenting on a line here or a scene there. Much to her surprise, Teddi found herself having a fantastic time, despite the late hour and the yawns that were cranking her mouth open wide more and more frequently. When the credits rolled, she was both relieved and disappointed.

  Time to sleep, Leah texted, and added a sleeping emoji with several z’s. Thanks for keeping me company tonight.

  It was my pleasure, Teddi typed back, and she’d never meant anything more sincerely.

  Talk tomorrow?

  Absolutely.

  Have sweet dreams, Teddi. A kiss emoji followed. Leah’s emoji game was strong, that was for sure.

  You, too. Good night.

  Teddi plugged her phone into its charger, clicked off the television, and snuggled down into her bed. Sleep was her thing. Always had been. She loved to sleep in. It was one of her favorite things in life. But tonight? She wanted to sleep fast. Because when it was tomorrow, she could talk to Leah again.

  * * *

  Cheerful and looking forward to the day was not often how Leah woke up after a night when she’d been in her office working until after nine. But last night had been different, so very different, and she just lay there in her bed, grinning like a fool. How could simply texting with someone make her feel all mushy and joyful inside? There’d barely been any flirting. They just talked.

  She remembered every text. Could almost hear Teddi’s voice saying them out loud. That fluttering in her stomach had been near constant, until she was barely able to focus on her work. And while saying good night had been necessary, because of course it had, she hadn’t wanted to. Leah could’ve chatted with Teddi all night long. Easily. Like a teenage girl talking to her first crush.

  Phone in her hand, she began typing a morning greeting, but stopped herself and deleted it. They were taking things slowly, it seemed, by some unspoken agreement. Leah was okay with that but knew she’d need to see Teddi soon. Lay eyes on her. Be in the same room. Maybe she’d bring that up later today.

  The loud scraping sound of a snowplow clearing her driveway made her put the phone down, got her up and moving. Lizzie hunkered down into the comforter, apparently not yet ready to face the day, and Leah couldn’t blame her. It was cold. Leah gave her a scratch, and Lizzie shot her a warning look. “I love you, Your Highness.” She dropped a kiss on the cat’s head, then darted away before she got hit with a claw swipe.

  In the bathroom, she noticed a small reddish spider up in the corner above the shower, where the wall met the ceiling. Normally, something like that would make her jump. Then she’d have to find a way to capture the spider but not touch it. Then carry it to the door and let it loose outside because she hated the idea of killing anything—except centipedes because they were creepy and scary fast and all had to die—but it was so cold, and she was in her pajamas and running late. So she stood there.

  Finally, she stripped off her pajamas, keeping an eye on the spider the whole time, then stood there, hands on her hips.

  “Okay, look. I’m in a good mood, and I would rather not squish you. But it’s super cold out and I need to get to work, and I don’t have time to try and herd you outside. So, let’s lay some ground rules. You can stay there, in the corner, and I’ll be just fine. But you are not to drop on me. And you are not to have any spider babies in my house. Understood? That would be definite grounds for squishing.” She squinted. The spider didn’t move, and she absently wondered if it was staring back at her. Once the water was running and she’d stepped in, she glanced up again. The spider hadn’t moved.

  Toweling herself off, she said, “You’re a good spider. I’m going to name you Angelica and allow you to stay. As long as we have an understanding.”

  Dressed and ready to go, cat fed, Leah picked up her phone. The timing now seemed okay. She typed out a good morning and asked Teddi how she slept. Then she tucked the phone away, promising herself she wouldn’t spend the day checking it incessantly for a response. Stay breezy. She donned her coat and headed out into the day, the cold January weather like a slap in the face.

  * * *

  “Oh my God.” Harlow laughed heartily, a big, toss-her-head-back-and-let-loose laugh that came from deep in her body. Teddi had filled her in on her New Year’s Eve, sparing no details because, for some reason, she needed to talk about it. “This is the stuff rom-coms are made of, you know. The very stuff you despise, that makes you roll your eyes? You’re living it right now.”

  “Shut up,” Teddi said in a grumble, but a good-natured one, because Harlow was right and Teddi didn’t care that she was living out a romance novel. There was nothing she’d rather do right then, and it was so confusing. How the hell had this happened?

  They sat at the little round table in Hopeless Romantic, going over the February schedule, comparing notes on the upcoming weddings they’d both be working. “I don’t understand it, Harlow.”

  “What don’t you understand?” Harlow pushed aside the papers they were looking at, set her forearms on the table, and wrapped her hands around her warm mug of coffee. Teddi loved that about her—that she’d give you one hundred percent of her attention if you needed it. And Teddi needed it now.

  Teddi took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she organized her thoughts, something she’d been trying to do since she’d opened her eyes that morning. “We texted last night for hours. Sporadic at first. I was careful not to seem overly anxious.”

  “Because…?”

  Teddi blinked at her. “Pride?”

  Harlow grinned. “Got it. Go on.”

  “But after a while, we stopped waiting between texts and just talked.”

  “Only by text, though. Not on the phone or FaceTiming or anything.”

  “Right. Just by text.”

  Harlow nodded, sipped, waited for Teddi to continue.

  “And it felt…” Again, Teddi tried to organize what she was thinking, couldn’t understand why it was so hard. “It felt right. Like it was exactly what we were supposed to be doing.”

  “Okay.” Harlow drew the word out, furrowed her brow. “And the problem is…?”

  “How? How is it right? Given who she is. Given who I am. How is it possible that I’m still interested in this person? That I haven’t been able to just write her off? I kissed her on New Year’s Eve, for God’s sake.”

  “Sweetie.” Harlow’s smile was slight, but Teddi knew her face well. She was hiding the fact that she wanted to grin widely. Closing a hand over Teddi’s forearm, she made eye contact and held it. “Do you think you might be overthinking this whole thing? Just a tad?” Harlow’s tone was careful, as if she was concerned about angering her.

  “Am I?” It was an honest question. Teddi hadn’t even considered she might be overthinking all this.

&nb
sp; Harlow nodded, held her thumb and forefinger half an inch apart. “I think maybe a little, yeah.”

  “Huh.” Teddi dropped her shoulders, slouched a bit in her seat.

  “It is something you have a habit of doing.”

  She wasn’t wrong about that and Teddi knew it. “Advice?”

  “Relax. That’s my advice. Chill out. Enjoy the ride.”

  “That simple, huh?”

  “It really is. You seem to like this girl. She seems to like you.”

  Preston pushed through the door then, returning from a caterer visit. He stomped the snow off his boots. His black wool coat was sprinkled with snowflakes, the red scarf around his neck adding a pop of color to his dark outfit.

  “Preston,” Harlow said, “what’s your advice for our friend here with regard to this new chick she likes?”

  “For the love of God, woman, relax about it. Just have fun.” He walked past them both and into the back room.

  Harlow turned to her, brows raised in victory. She didn’t actually say See? but she didn’t have to. Teddi heard it anyway.

  “Fine. Fine. I’ll try to relax.”

  “Have you texted her today?”

  “Not yet.” Teddi felt the smile start to spread across her face. “But she sent me a good morning a little bit ago.”

  Harlow sat back in her chair, coffee in hand, and sipped, her eyes twinkling knowingly over the rim of the mug. “Text her back.”

  Teddi didn’t have to be told twice.

  Chapter Twelve

  Pizzeria Cannavale was small, and that was smart for business because it was always busy. Brick walls and small tables with white tablecloths gave it a cozy atmosphere. In the center was a horseshoe-shaped counter where people sat, watching the cooks making pizza, sliding it in and out of the wood-burning oven with spatulas the size of snow shovels. And the smell…tomato sauce, basil, Parmesan. Her mouth had been watering since she arrived a few minutes ago.

  The table was perfect. Tucked in a corner, close enough to the counter to be able to see the pizzas being made, but far enough that she and Teddi would still be able to converse without having to strain to hear each other. She was toying with a long, skinny breadstick when she looked up and saw Teddi coming in the door.

  Teddi took her breath away. Literally. She knew it should be impossible, but she didn’t care. No air went in or out of Leah’s lungs for what felt like a long time. She simply stared. Gawked, if she was being honest. It was snowing lightly, and Teddi’s dark head and navy blue coat were sprinkled with dots of white. Those dark eyes scanned the small space and landed on Leah just as she raised her hand.

  The eye contact sent Leah’s insides to fluttering. Again. Was that going to be a regular thing now? Teddi crossed the room. Leah noticed a few heads turn and had to fight the urge to stand up and loudly announce, Yes, this is my date, thank you very much, and the rest of you can suck it. She stayed seated. And quiet.

  “Oh my God, this has got to be what heaven smells like.” Teddi draped her coat over the back of her chair and sat down. The black sweater was simple yet elegant, her hair pulled back, silver hoops in her ears. “Hi.”

  “Hey, you.” Leah felt her smile grow, and an odd sense of what she could only describe as contentedness settled around her. She’d been nervous all day anticipating tonight, their first date. But now that Teddi was there, seated across the small table from her, she felt nothing but happy relaxation.

  “This is awesome,” Teddi said, looking around. “I’ve heard about this place, but I can’t believe I’ve never been here.”

  “It can be hard to get a table, but I know the owner.”

  “Yeah? A client?”

  “A classmate. In high school.”

  They were interrupted by the waitress, who took their wine order and told them the specials, then slipped away.

  “We’re getting pizza, right?” Teddi asked. “Please tell me we’re getting pizza.”

  “Listen”—Leah leaned over the table, lowered her voice as if she had a secret—“all the food here is excellent, but I only come for the pizza.”

  “Oh, thank God.”

  “I don’t know what Marisa does, if it’s the dough or the sauce or the wood-burning oven, but her pizza is like magic. Or crack. Magical crack.”

  The waitress returned with their Zinfandel and asked after their order.

  “What do you like on your pizza?” Leah asked.

  “There’s not much I don’t like on my pizza.”

  “Pepperoni?” Teddi nodded. “Sliced tomatoes?” Another nod. “Green peppers?” Nod. “Perfect. That, please.” The waitress grinned and left.

  Teddi picked up her wine. “Shall we toast?”

  “I think it’s bad luck not to.”

  “Agreed. Okay, then…” Teddi pursed her lips, her thinking face stupidly cute, which Leah tried—and failed—not to notice. When Teddi settled on something, it was clear. Her face relaxed. Her eyes sparkled. Her lips turned up in a soft smile. “To magical crack pizzas and first dates.”

  “I will absolutely drink to that.” They touched glasses with a light ping and sipped, Leah never taking her eyes from Teddi’s face. “Tell me something.”

  “Okay. What would you like to know?” Forearms on the table, Teddi leaned in.

  It had been on her mind since The Kiss. Yes, she thought about it with capitalization. The Kiss. Because it had solidified itself in her mind as something worth capitalizing. “What changed?” At Teddi’s furrowed brow, she went on. “I mean, after that night in the café, it kind of felt like a period. You know? Full stop. Like it was clear we had an obstacle we weren’t going to get past and nothing further would happen.”

  Teddi wet her lips, sipped her wine, gave a small nod. “I thought it was pretty clear, too.”

  “Cut to New Year’s Eve and you kissing me out of nowhere.” Sly. That’s what Leah went for with her smile. Sly. Teasing. It worked because Teddi’s cheeks pinkened.

  “Yeah. Well. That was unexpected.”

  “No kidding.”

  “And it also wasn’t.”

  Leah squinted at her. “Explain.”

  Watching thoughts and emotions play across Teddi’s face was quickly becoming Leah’s favorite pastime. She might do a good job at seeming stoic and serious, but Teddi’s expressions were subtle and many if you only paid attention. Like now, as she obviously struggled to verbalize what she was thinking. Rapid blinking. Looking off into the distance. Slightly furrowed eyebrows. A slight nibble of the bottom lip. It was interesting and beautiful and Leah just watched.

  “You can’t laugh,” Teddi finally said.

  “I can’t promise that.”

  Teddi shot a warning look that made Leah laugh.

  “Okay. Fine. I won’t laugh.” As Teddi opened her mouth, Leah stopped her. “Wait. Can I chuckle? Snort? Grin?”

  “No, no, and no.”

  Dramatic sigh. “Fine.” A wink to keep it light.

  Teddi looked down at the table, presumably to hide the grin Leah had coaxed from her. “It was the movie.”

  “The movie.” Leah looked at her blankly.

  “You’ve Got Mail. After that night, I kept thinking about it. Going back to it. How business and personal aren’t always the same thing. That they can be separate.”

  Leah took a moment to absorb the words. “So, wait. Lemme get this straight.” She held up a hand, paused for effect. “What you’re saying is that I have Tom Hanks to thank for you kissing me at midnight on New Year’s Eve?”

  Teddi blinked at her. Once. Twice. “Yes. That’s absolutely what I’m saying.” A sip of wine. “You should probably send him a fruit basket or something.”

  Leah laughed. Really laughed. It bubbled up and pushed out and she noticed that it seemed to make Teddi’s whole face light up. “I will do that. First thing in the morning. I’d better make a reminder.” She pulled out her phone and made a show of typing info in.

  The pizza arrived as they were laughi
ng, and the waitress set it on a raised holder in the middle of the table, then dished out a slice for each of them. They lifted their slices and took a bite in tandem.

  “Oh…ooh.” Teddi held her hand in front of her mouth as she chewed. “Oh my God.”

  “Right?” Leah chewed her own bite, savoring the blend of flavors. The acidity of the sauce, the saltiness of the cheese, the slight spice of the pepperoni, the crunch of the peppers, and the brightness of the fresh tomato slices. “I can never tell what it is, but—”

  “It’s something, right? Is it the crust? Does the sauce have special secret seasonings? Like in Mystic Pizza?”

  Leah couldn’t hide her delight. “You’ve seen Mystic Pizza?”

  Teddi merely smiled, a glimmer in her dark eyes. Leah’s flutters, which had been butterfly-like, dialed up into bumblebee mode.

  “Well. You get points for that.”

  “I do? What kind of points?” Teddi teased. “Rom-com points?”

  “Exactly.” They ate in silence for a moment. “So, what do you do to relax? I imagine your job can get kind of stressful. It can’t be easy to manage the most important day in somebody’s life. What do you do when it gets to be too much?”

  “I go to the zoo.” Teddi said it so matter-of-factly that Leah simply blinked at her for several seconds.

  “Really?”

  “Mm-hmm.” A dab of a napkin. A sip of wine. Was it normal how much Leah loved just watching Teddi? Watching her do normal, unremarkable things like wipe her mouth with a napkin? “I go there and I just wander, observe the animals. Sometimes, I’ll sit inside one of the buildings for half an hour or more, just…sitting.”

  “What’s in the buildings?”

  Teddi’s dark eyes widened. “Have you never been to the zoo?”

  “Not since I was a kid.”

  “Oh my God.” Teddi set both hands flat on the table. “That is unacceptable. Our zoo is amazing. It’s not huge, but it’s lovely. I’ve always had mixed emotions about zoos—I don’t love the idea of wild animals being in captivity—but our zoo is big on fundraising and sustainability and conservation. It works hard to help endangered species. And don’t get me started on the aquarium part.” As if realizing she was rambling, she blushed a bit and glanced down at her empty plate. “I did some research before I paid for a membership.”