The Boyfriend Candidate (Fool Me Once, #2)

by Ashley Winstead

I tried to soak in the beauty of the bar while beelining through the crowded tables, anxious to leave the peculiar spotlight of being the only person standing among a bunch of cozy, seated people. But then I realized new Alexis wouldn’t care if everyone’s eyes flitted to her as she walked across a room—in fact, new Alexis would welcome it, because she’d spent nearly an hour straightening and then recurling her hair into movie star ringlets, and maybe that effort should be appreciated.

As an introverted Virgo, I often had to remind myself to not let speculations and anxieties about other people’s thoughts and feelings derail my life.

It’s just as far back as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by other people, but terrified by how hard they can be to navigate. Books presented the perfect solution: you could follow friends on scores of adventures without having to worry about saying the wrong thing.

“Oh, come on.” I snorted. “If you actually believed Ruby Dangerfield was a real name, that’s on you.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I bet you never even went on an archeology trip to retrieve a stolen artifact from the mouth of the Himalayas.” I crossed my arms. “Of course I didn’t, because that’s the plot of a children’s novel. It’s disconcerting you didn’t know that.”

I like reading and, um, children...” I like children? Who was I, Willy Wonka? I was bungling this so badly.

I finished swallowing and sat straighter. Unlike Lee, I loved rules. They existed to make you safe and comfortable.

“You are one of the most magnetic people I’ve ever met,” I said. “One in a million. You’re worth lifetimes of loving.”