with that.
“So, who are you compatible with?” he prods.
“Umm…supposedly, there are quite a few signs that would fit the bill, but––”
“Leo isn’t one of them,” Gage finishes for me. “Tell me this, are you hoping to find your forever on this cruise ship? And if you do, what then? All of these people can’t honestly be from Florida, can they? Do you pick up your entire life for a guy you barely know just because the stars aligned? Do you expect him to move for you? I mean, I feel like that’s setting yourself up for failure, but what do I know? It’s not like I’m the poster child for healthy relationships.”
No. I don’t think he is. Call it a hunch, but a few of those negative traits are glaringly obvious when I look at the guy across from me. Arrogant? Check. Stubborn? Check. But even those red flags don’t seem to outshine the positives I’ve seen come from him. My lower lip trembles when I consider what a great guy he could turn out to be if I got to know him a little more.
Whoa, Nora. Back up a few steps. You’re not looking for that, remember? And neither is he. Which is…kind of perfect…especially because he’s a Leo.
“I’m not expecting to find my soulmate on this ship,” I answer him after a few seconds of silence. “Honestly, I’m not even looking to find my soulmate right now.”
“Then what are you looking for?” he pushes, clearly intrigued.
“I’m not looking for anything. But Gem insists I keep an open mind because the experts are saying this eclipse could make or break a Cancer’s love life.”
Nodding his understanding, he clarifies, “Okay. So, let me get this straight. Your best friend is trying to convince you to find the love of your life on this ship. However, you’re not interested in finding him because you feel like you’re going to be forced into something that you’re not ready for. All because of this magical eclipse and the power it has to make or break your love life, regardless of what you want. Am I right?”
I hate being put on the spot, especially when he hits the nail right on the head, but he doesn’t move a muscle as he waits for me to reply. “Fine. Yes. I guess that pretty much sums it up.”
Gah! I am so drinking the Kool-Aid.
Satisfied with my grudging response, he rests his elbows on the table then leans forward. “Let me make a suggestion. We can both agree that, according to the astrology experts, you and I are not soulmates. Correct?”
Even though my mouth is tilted up, my heart pinches with the knowledge that I might as well cross this guy off the list right now if I’m going to believe what Gem keeps telling me. Which makes me feel like a crazy person because…it’s Gem. And it’s astrology. And it’s a bunch of hoopla that makes me cringe as I consider giving any of it actual merit.
“Yup,” I acknowledge. “According to the stars, you and I are not soulmates, so I guess that’s a pretty accurate statement.”
“Well, then, what if we change my birthday for the week? Just to get Gem off your back. You can convince her you’re giving this whole soulmate thing a very hard try, you think you’ve found him, and everything is exactly as you dreamed it would be.”
“And?”
“And we’ll just enjoy our week together, then go our separate ways. That way, Gem’s concern for her friend’s love life will be put to rest, and we’ll both have a great week with the knowledge that it can’t turn into anything more because we aren’t compatible in an astrological sense. How does that sound?”
I laugh. “It sounds like you’re trying to get laid.”
He joins in before acknowledging, “I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t thought about what you look like naked since our fake proposal at the football stadium. I want you. Plain and simple.” My breath catches before he continues. “But if you weren’t interested, I’d still want to get laid, which puts me in a predicament too because I’m not a dick and don’t want to give any of the other girls on this boat false hope that I’m looking for something when I’m not. And I assume you don’t want to give any sorry saps that Gem sets you up with any false hope, either. To me, my plan sounds like the perfect scenario.”
I consider his proposal from