“Sure thing,” I tell her. I’m feeling kinder toward her after having so much fun dancing with her.
Buck asks where she wants to go, and she says, “Just drop me at the old sewing machine factory. I want to tell Beau that I don’t think the condo is right for me.”
“Maybe Ashley should have a look at it,” Buck suggests.
“I thought she was moving to London to be with you,” Jessica replies, seeming confused. Welcome to the club.
“I don’t think she quite knows what she wants yet. Even if she does decide to leave Creek Water, I’m sure the condo would be a great investment.”
“I guess it would,” Jessica agrees. She looks in my direction and decrees, “Well, that settles it, you’re coming with me. Do you want to join us, Alexander?”
“No, thanks. I’ve got some work I need to do before tomorrow. You know, stories to file, new advertisers to approve, that kind of thing.”
He drops us in front of the old factory building and tells me, “Give me a call and let me know when you’re ready for me to pick you up.”
Jessica and I walk inside together, and she asks, “Haven’t the Frothinghams done a wonderful job with this place?”
I nod my head in agreement, so she continues, “I love all the changes in town. They somehow make Creek Water feel bigger, don’t they?”
“I guess so.” I’m not feeling very chatty.
“So, you’re considering moving to London, huh?” Before I can answer, she continues, “You must love Alexander an awful lot.”
I do love him. The question is, in what way do I love him? I know he’s the same old Buck who’s been my best friend for twelve years, but he’s somebody else, too. He’s Alexander Freeport, fancy pants editor of a fancy pants international travel magazine. I don’t even know what he’s like in his native habitat.
“He’s a great guy. You’re really lucky,” she says. My god, this woman doesn’t know when to stop talking.
When we get upstairs to Frothingham Realty, she tells the receptionist, “We’re here to see Beau.”
The girl calls back and Davis’s brother hurries out to greet us. “Jessica, Ashley, how nice to see you both. What can I do for you?”
“I want to see a couple more houses,” Jessica says. “I don’t think the condo is right for me. But it might be right for Ashley. Can somebody show it to her?”
“Are you ready to start looking?” he asks me.
“I think so. I’d like to get an idea what my options are.”
“Well, then,” he pulls out his phone and clicks away for a minute. When it beeps, he looks down and announces, “Davis will be right over.” Then to Jessica, he says, “In the meantime, I’d be happy to take you out. I just need to run to my office for a second.”
After he leaves, Jessica sits down on a sofa in the waiting area. She pats the seat next to her. Once I’m situated, she announces, “I think Davis likes you.”
“Why would you say that?”
“He was pretty captivated by you at the Spring Fling and he talked about you constantly during our breakfast the next morning. I thought maybe you’d like to know in case he’s part of the reason you’re having a hard time deciding if you want to move to London.”
I don’t know what to say. Is Jessica Holt being nice or self-serving? I can tell she has a thing for Buck, and I know Buck’s always had a thing for her. I wonder if the only reason I thought Buck and I should give it try is because I thought Davis and Jessica were together.
Hell. It looks like I might be the self-serving one here. When I thought my number one was taken, I dropped a line for my number two. That’s a horrible way to treat my best friend. No wonder he’s been keeping me at arm’s length when things are on the verge of getting interesting between us.
But even as I think this, I have to wonder if Davis really is my number one. What if I’m just so used to thinking of him like that I’m not focusing on my true soulmate, Buck. Gah!
Since Jessica crashed our dance lesson and has kept me from further discovering my feelings toward my best friend, I excuse myself and walk to the corner of the room to make a call. “Buck,” I whisper into the phone when he picks up.
“You can’t be done already,” he says.
“I’m not.”
“Then why are