Falling for My Enemy (Dirty Martini Running Club, #2)

by Claire Kingsley

It was him. Corban stood, surrounded by exhausted runners celebrating with friends and family, holding a sign. His hair was adorably unkempt and one corner of his mouth lifted in a crooked smile. The hope in that foolish, stubborn heart of mine exploded like fireworks.

“You did it,” he said. “I knew you would.” “You’re here.” He nodded. “Yeah. Do you like the sign I made?” “Oh.” I adjusted my glasses. I was so surprised to see him, I hadn’t even read it.

The poster board in his hands read I love you, Hazel, in large handwritten letters. In the corner, he’d drawn two penguins facing each other, their heads bowed, beaks touching, the shape of their bodies forming a heart. And one of the penguins wore a race number, just like me.

“I wanted to be wrong,” she blurted out, finally meeting my eyes. “It took me too long to admit it, even to myself, but I did. I’d decided your questionnaire wouldn’t work, and I was too stubborn to see beyond that. But you were right, Corban. You were right the whole time. Your questionnaire works. It made me fall in love with you. Although…” “Although what?” “It wasn’t just the questionnaire that made me fall in love. It was you.”

“Even though I’m weird?” She smiled again. “You keep saying that but I don’t think you’re the least bit weird.”

“That reminds me, I brought you something.” I reached into my pocket and drew out a smooth, round stone. “Here.” She held out her hand and I placed the rock in her palm. “Oh, Corban.” “Male penguins collect stones to present to the female they want to mate with.” “And if the female accepts, she uses the stones to build her nest.” I cupped her cheek. “Hazel, I’m glad we became friends, and I think we can both agree the other stuff was great. But I need you to know something. I don’t want to just date you. You’re brilliant and beautiful and yeah, sometimes you drive me crazy. But you challenge me. You love asking questions and picking things apart as much as I do, and I think we’re perfect for each other. I want you to be my penguin.” Her hand closed around the rock and she put her arms around my neck. “I am your penguin.”

“We bought enough for everyone.” “We?” “Yeah, me and Shepherd.” She took another drink. “Why were you with Shepherd?” I shrugged. “He came over to ruin my life, but he actually helped me figure things out.” “Ruin your life?” “Never mind.”

“Everybody, this is Corban. If it’s not already clear, the events of last weekend were a misunderstanding. And I’m his penguin.”

A man with a purple and teal mohawk and wearing a peacock costume—complete with a huge fan of feathers—approached. “Nice finish, ladies,” he said. All four of them answered with a chorus of thank-yous. “I love your costume,” Everly said. Nora nodded. “It’s fierce.” “Thank you.” He puffed out his chest, then turned to Hazel. “I just had to tell you, I really wanted to quit around mile ten. But I heard you asking everyone what they’re running for, and I remembered why I decided to do this. It gave me what I needed to finish.” Hazel smiled. “I’m glad my spontaneous words of encouragement were helpful.” He grinned at her. “More than you know. I also wanted to tell you I overheard that fake-ass group of mean girls giving you crap before the race. Don’t let those bitches dim your shine.”

“You guys are like lions and hyenas,” I said. Hazel looked up at me. “How so?” “Female hyenas are vicious to each other. There’s usually a dominant female who controls all the reproductive opportunities, and the subordinate females attend to her like servants. Female lions are one of the few social predators who are completely cooperative. The lionesses in a pride all have equal access to mating opportunities and they almost never fight or attack each other. Plus they hunt together, share their kills, and help each other raise their cubs.”

Shepherd stood next to her, dressed in a suit and tie. He rubbed slow circles across her back while she talked with Nora and Sophie. I hadn’t missed the fact that Everly had been sipping water, not a martini, all night, and I wondered if it meant she’d soon have news to share.

“Don’t give up, Sophie,” Everly said. “Your Prince Charming is out there.” She shrugged. “Maybe. Although knowing me, I’ll accidentally give him a black eye or something.” “Don’t be silly,” Nora said. “You’re going to trip and fall right into his arms. And you’ll know he’s the one because he’ll catch you without injuring himself.” “He sounds perfect for me,” Sophie said. “And I’m sure your prince is out there too.”

“Someday, Nora,” Everly said. “You’re going to meet the man who changes your mind and it’s going to be amazing.” Nora laughed. “I doubt that, but I will always love your sunny optimism.”

“To love. Whether between friends, or lovers, or both, may we all experience it in abundance.”

“Hazel, I spent my whole life walking around with a hole in here.” He tapped his chest. “Until I met you, I didn’t think there was anything that would fill it. I know we had a bit of a rocky start, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you. I love your curiosity about the world and your brilliant mind. I love your big heart and your loyalty to everyone you care about. I also love your cookies and your cinnamon rolls. And of course your brownies.”

“I already talked to Erwin and he gave us his blessing.”

“Hazel Kiegen, I want to love you forever. Will you marry me?” “Yes.” I nodded enthusiastically, not sure if I was laughing or crying. Perhaps both. I kept saying it, too overcome with emotion to stop. “Yes, yes, yes.”

There were three things I knew with absolute certainty. The scientific method was still humanity’s greatest invention, vodka martinis were best served dirty, and Corban Nash was a remarkable scientist, the most amazing man I’d ever known, and the one true love of my life.

“I swear, she’s your kid, not mine,” Molly said. “Three and a half years old, and she already gets so absorbed in what she’s doing, she forgets everything else.” “Is she forgetting to eat in favor of doing math problems?” Hazel asked. “You know what’s weird?” Molly asked. “Kind of. Remember that toy abacus you bought her? Lately she spends hours playing store with her stuffed animals, and I think her favorite part is figuring out how much their pretend purchases cost. She moves the little beads across the line, and I swear to god, she already understands addition and subtraction. She’s three

“Hey, Kate,” I said. “If your teddy bear buys two candy bars and they each cost a dollar, how much money does he need?” She held up two fingers, her mouth too full of macaroni to answer. “Yep, two dollars. Nice.” “Kate, if your teddy bear goes to the store with eleven dollars, and purchases items costing one dollar, three dollars, and two dollars respectively, how much money will he have left?” Hazel asked. I glanced at her and lowered my voice. “Geez, Hazel, she’s three.” “Five,” Kate answered through a mouthful of food. Raising my eyebrows, I looked at Kate, then Molly. My sister shrugged her shoulders. “See?”

Her eyes flicked to the side. I looked. She’d decorated for Halloween a few weeks ago. A string of orange and purple lights draped across the fireplace and she’d put pumpkin shaped candles and a little black cat on the mantle. But below that, on the hearth, was something covered by a black cloth. Had that been there before? How had I not noticed it? “What’s that?” “Go look.”

It was a pile of smooth rocks, arranged in a tidy circle. Most were no bigger than the palm of my hand, and she’d placed them so the largest were on the bottom, leading to the smallest on top. “What’s this?” “Those are the rocks you gave me.” “Really? You kept them?” Ever since the day of the Soggy Seattle Half-Marathon, when I’d handed her a rock to tell her I loved her, I’d made a habit of giving her rocks. Sometimes they were random. I’d see a rock on campus or in our yard and present it to her to make her smile. Other times they were from special places we’d been, like the rock I’d found on our honeymoon, or the one from when we’d presented our research together at the last Personality and Social Psychology Conference. “Of course I kept them. Every single one. Even after mate selection, male penguins present their mates with rocks.” My eyes widened and I slowly stood. “The female uses them to build a nest.” Her bottom lip caught between her teeth and she smiled, nodding. “Oh my god, Hazel, are you saying—?” She nodded again, more vigorously this time. “Are we going to have a baby?” “Yes.”

“You’re pregnant?” She nodded. “I confirmed it with the doctor this morning. I’m definitely pregnant.” My throat felt a little thick and emotion swelled in my chest. “Holy shit, Hazel. This is amazing. But when did you make the rock nest?” “Earlier today. I wondered if you’d notice it before we left.” “I can’t believe I didn’t.” She smiled. “I can.”