Cursive - By Phoebe Lane Page 0,8

only I could take a sniff of her neck. I just want to smell her, and maybe taste her too.

"All good qualities. So what's holding you back?"

Jace thought for a moment before answering. "I think you were right about what you said the other night. I don't get the vibe that Aislynn's into the casual thing. I don't know. There's something about her—"

Jace was having a hard time putting into words what it was about Aislynn that drew him in. Maybe it was her spontaneity, or the way she carried herself without pretenses. His mind went back to the morning they’d met, and he remembered seeing her walking into the kitchen half asleep wearing that tiny robe—

That's it. She's breathtaking, and she doesn't even know it. Such a dangerous combination.

It didn't escape him that he was spending an awful lot of time trying to figure out a woman he'd only met briefly and to whom he'd only spoken for a few hours. Yet, he couldn't stop himself.

"She's really down to earth and real," Jace finally added.

"Ha! Who's talking like a girl now?" Evan asked.

"I'm not the one bringing up babies."

"Point taken. Listen, man, I'm not trying to have a 'heart to heart' here," Evan said using air quotes, "but I think it's time for you to look for something different. Stop fucking around with all these women you randomly date. Pun intended, by the way."

"I 'date' because relationships come with way too much drama and too much baggage. I thought I was over and done with all that crap after I broke up with Chloe, and then I turn around and meet Lia. I mean, what are the odds?"

"Not all women are 'Lias' or 'Chloes.' They were the problem, not the actual relationship crap. Call me crazy, but I think there might be something there with Aislynn, and I think you should give it a chance."

"You mean give her a chance?"

"No. I mean give yourself a chance. To maybe get it right this time."

From what Aislynn could observe, things were going great for Ellie and Evan. They had this weird connection that became completely impenetrable by the people around them. It wasn't that they acted like they were inside a bubble; it was more like they were locked inside the romantic equivalent of a maximum security area at NSA headquarters.

Meanwhile, Jace and Aislynn spent their time during dinner bonding over their mutual disgust for their friends' obvious love connection.

"Do you think they even realize we're making fun of them?" Aislynn asked Jace while staring at their friends across the table.

"Unlikely. I think they've moved to a different wavelength where only the two of them and a specific species of Amazonian bird can actually communicate in," he answered, making her throw her head back in laughter.

"You know, Jace, for a non-date, I'm having a lot of fun. I really needed to laugh. I haven't done much of that in while." They stared at each other and smiled as Aislynn felt a bubble starting to form around them.

"Then how about we all have another non-date on Wednesday? Dinner at my place?" Evan asked excitedly, inserting himself back into the conversation and successfully popping Jace and Aislynn's bubble.

"Great idea! Aislynn?" Ellie said.

"Sure. Jace, want to give it a chance?" she asked him softly and immediately picked up on a glance exchanged between the guys. It was subtle, but Aislynn was good at picking up on body language.

"You know what? I think I do," Jace answered with a coy smile.

A few days later, as Aislynn tried to work on her manuscript, she heard a knock at the door. She was surprised to find a UPS delivery man carrying what appeared to be two huge parcels and a very annoyed look on his face.

"Currington?" he barked.

"Yes?" she cautiously answered.

"Sign here," he said, placing the boxes down on her doorstep and handing her the electronic pad and pen.

"Good luck!" he said halfway down the hallway, not bothering to look back or offer any help bringing the boxes in.

"Geez, thanks," she muttered under her breath.

Once inside, she glanced at the return address and realized they were the boxes Pam had mentioned sending to her. She set them aside without even opening them, figuring they were items she hadn't needed in close to a year and were probably not important.

She'd been having a hard time with her writing that day, getting a dozen pages written before deleting them in frustration. After finally deciding to call a strike on