The Best Mistake - Cookie O'Gorman Page 0,65
turned into an expose on what a kind, awesome and yes, gorgeous, human being he was. This in and of itself wasn’t a problem. But goodness, if I was one of our Howler readers, I would’ve definitely gotten the wrong impression. It kind of sounded like I was falling for the guy.
And maybe I was.
But I could guard my heart.
Archer and I were an impossibility—which may have sounded bleak, but it was just the opposite. If we could never happen, if there couldn’t be a real relationship between us and if I knew it, accepted it as a fact going in, I was free to pursue something with him.
And if I got hurt?
Well, maybe a little hurt was worth it.
Archer was going to be a professional baseball player. There was no doubt in my mind. That meant travel and fame and women throwing themselves at him. My future plans consisted of graduating, getting my CPA license and possibly freelancing on the side until I actually found my passion in life. The fact that we were so different, and our paths had crossed at all…it had to be fate.
Right?
I was just finishing up my second attempt at the Archer article—it turned out way better than the first, thank goodness—when my phone started ringing. I answered, and then suddenly Charlie’s face filled the screen.
“Hey Honor,” she said, “where are you? All I’m seeing is some crappy white ceiling.”
With a laugh, I hit the save button on my computer and picked up my cell. “Sorry, I was just saving my work. Hey Charlie. How are you doing?”
“How am I?” she said, raising a brow. “I’m not the one on a trip with a bunch of hot athletes. Your day must’ve been ten times more interesting than mine, especially since you never texted me back. BTW, I’m still mad you didn’t send me any hottie pics.”
“I fell asleep on the bus.” I shrugged, feeling my lips tug up as I thought about just whose shoulder I’d fallen asleep on. “Otherwise, I definitely would’ve sent you something.”
“Hmm,” she said suspiciously, “and what’s that smile about?”
“Nothing.”
“Oookay…and you seriously got no pics whatsoever?”
“I did get one,” I said, biting my lip. “But it’s not really what you asked for.”
“Well, come on,” she said. “Send it over.”
Pulling up the surprise photo Archer had taken of the two of us, I hit send and waited for her reaction.
“Wow,” Charlie said quietly. “You two are so stinking cute together. And the kiss on the forehead? Totally romantic.”
“Whatever,” I said, trying to laugh it off. “It was just a joke.”
“Doesn’t look that way to me.”
A second later, I heard raised voices in the background. “What’s that noise?” I asked.
Charlie rolled her eyes. “Emmy insisted on us watching this show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We’ve been binging it all day. It’s about vampires, obviously, and all that stupid paranormal stuff.” She raised her voice. “You know I despise silly, outdated TV shows.”
“Oh shut your face,” Emmy’s voice said a second before she stepped up next to Charlie. Her words were harsh, but she was smiling. “Hey Honor.” She waved to me. “What Charlie meant to say is Buffy will always be in style. It’s timeless, and she’s loving every silly second of it.”
“I am not,” Charlie said, but she was grinning, too.
A moment later, Rose appeared, carrying a big bowl of popcorn. “Seriously,” she said, “just admit it, girl. You like the show. It’s not a crime or anything.” To me, she smiled and said, “Oh hi, Honor. Just so you know, Charlie’s been worried about you all day, but we told her you’d be fine.”
“I haven’t been worried per se,” Charlie muttered. “And I don’t like Buffy. Not at all. Period.”
“Not even Spike?” Rose said.
Charlie hesitated, and Emmy shot her a don’t-even-try-to-lie grin. “Everybody loves Spike.”
“Okay, okay,” Charlie said finally and threw up her hands. “I like it a little. But only a little, and only because of Spike. Seriously Honor, you have to see this guy to understand. He’s like sex on a stick.”
“Ah, now I really wish I was there,” I laughed and so did they. “He sounds amazing.”
“You have no idea,” Emmy said with a wink.
All of a sudden a new face entered the picture, and I had to do a double-take.
“Hey, are we watching more Buffy or what?” Finn said, standing just over Rose’s shoulder. The youngest O’Brien brother—the one I knew the least—had another bowl filled with what looked like chips. “Hey, Honor, I didn’t