Secret Admirer by Ally Hayes Read Free Book Online Page A

understanding
    Immediately following the group exchange, he texted me privately.
    I told him he shouldn’t feel bad at all and to have a great time at the game. They hoped to buy tickets from a scalper, but would likely tailgate regardless and return by Tuesday. None of my guy friends back home would ever pull a crazy, spur-of-the-moment antic like driving to the Superbowl. I found his sense of adventure an encouraging sign he would be different from the guys I was used to.
    I had a good time at the party anyway and let down my guard slightly, but I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. Pulling out a candy heart that said, 2 Good 2B True didn’t help.

Chapter Seven
    Even after my recent banters with Garrett, I still looked forward to seeing Connor on Monday, causing major inner-conflict. Eagerness at seeing his smiling face and hearing his cheery humming or whistling filled me. I was mainly interested in Garrett and believed I’d never get to really know Connor. Then again, I’d never seen Garrett. What if no sparks lit when we finally met? Thinking it best to keep my options open until we did meet, remaining friendly with Connor still felt worth the effort.
    Before leaving the apartment, I checked my bangs in the mirror. They needed a trim—the downside to a real haircut. I retreated to my bathroom to add extra blush to combat my winter paleness before heading out to face light flurries and a long line at the coffee shop. My appearance worries were unwarranted, because he wasn’t there. I shuffled through my usual routine at the counter, my footsteps suddenly heavy.
    At the office, our receptionist, Kathy, was on a stepstool removing football decorations and replacing them with paper heart cut-outs and gel glass clings featuring Cupid and kissy-lips. I almost growled. I wanted to ask if the tacky embellishments were really necessary for the entrance to an accounting firm, but I didn’t wanted to be labeled the grouchy single girl who clearly had no Valentine of her own. I kept quiet but remained crabby the whole day.
    Connor wasn’t at the coffee shop again on Tuesday. I took his absence as a sign to text Garrett as I sorted my afternoon candy hearts.
    I Hope . Let’s Kiss . Love . Bling . Miss You .
    I thought the last message could work to describe my mood, but how could I miss someone I never met? Or did my disappointment possibly mean I missed seeing Connor? Confused, I reached in for one more and found what I hoped to see. Secret Admirer . I felt my shoulders relax. One little sugary heart was all the necessary fuel I needed to reach out to Garrett.
    Me—how’s 30 treating you?
    He didn’t reply for an hour. During that anxious stretch of time, I ate roughly twenty-seven candy hearts but saved the green Secret Admirer , adding it to my ever-growing stash.
    Garrett—sorry, was driving, had to rent a car to get back and it was my turn to drive
    Me—no apologies, hands on the wheel?
    Garrett—I’m in backseat now. We’ll be in CT by tonight hopefully
    Me—safe travels
    Garrett—free this weekend?
    Me—my turn to go out of town
    Garrett—we have to pick a date, asap
    Me—date?
    Garrett—yes?
    Me—yes
    Garrett—we’ll arrange it when I get back
    Me—:)
    ****
    I fooled myself early on Wednesday morning into believing the stupid snooze button was a good idea. I was getting nowhere with Connor anyway. Yet, when I arrived at work, I felt no more rested than if I’d gotten right up, and wasted the morning wondering if he was there and looking for me. At ten in the morning, I succumbed to my first candy heart of the day—a sure sign of addiction. I crunched Love Ya , Smile , and Be Mine while crunching numbers.
    At lunch, I told Bree and Clare, who I’d asked to come along, about the plans for my upcoming weekend back home. “I’ve been gone a month now. I promised my mom a visit at this point. I’m sure she’s been cooking all week to send back a freezer full.”
    “That’s sweet,”