Page 54 of Let's Kiss and Tell

Lucy:

Out with a friend

In less than thirty seconds he reacts to the photo with a heart.

Chris:

Where u at

Just then, a tall figure walking through the entrance catches my eye.

I do a double take because Marsh is almost unrecognizable at first glance. He’s swapped his glasses for contacts, and his hair looks slightly gelled away from his face. He has black jeans, a black golf shirt of some kind that’s hugging his arms and chest in a way that feels cruel to me, and a pair of Nikes.

Clearly, Marsh shaves regularly because it’s been only a few days since I’ve seen him and he has a noticeable five-o’clock shadow.

He looks hot.Reallyhot.

I raise my hand to catch his attention, and I swear I see the blood drain from his face. It looks like he’s not going to walk over, but instead turn around altogether. But he smiles and walks toward me.

“Lucy…” He utters my name in a way I haven’t heard before. “You look…”

“Is it too much?” I ask, internally panicking based on his reaction.

“No, no.” He shakes his head. “You look incredible.”

I’m used to men whispering the most explicit things in my ear, yet Marsh’s remark is making me actively try to not blush. I’m not sure what it is but there’s something different about Marsh tonight. The way his hair is thick and full, his tanned skin, the broadness of his shoulders, how his shirt hugs the form of his chest, the hairs on his forearms, and the black leather watch on his wrist. I always knew that Marsh was an attractive man, but in that nerdy professor way. He’s someone who you can look at and say,Yes, that man is handsome,but his demeanor, his kindness, his intelligence is something that by far overpowers his looks in the best way possible.

Tonight, there’s a new aura about Marsh. I don’t throw around the wordsexythat easily, but he looks really fucking sexy. I thought my feelings at the boxing gym were something that would subside, but the fact that I continue to see him this way is a little concerning.

“Lucy?” He ducks a little lower to get my attention.

“Hmm?” I snap back to reality. “Sorry, what?”

“Do you want a drink?” he asks like he’s repeating himself for the fifth time.

“Oh! Yes, yes, please.” I follow him toward the bar.

We walk up to the bar, and DJ Colton is a few feet away from us. I lean in a little closer to Marsh to show that yes,thisis the friend I was meeting. Behind the bar is a half mirror and I catch a glimpse of my and Marsh’s reflection. We look good together. We’re an attractive couple. We look like we should be on a magazine spread. Clothed, unclothed, I don’t care.

“What do you want?” Marsh looks down at me.

“I’ll just have a glass of red, please.”

After ordering, Marsh passes me my wine, and we take a seat at one of the high-top tables.

“Have you ever been here before?” Marsh asks over the music.

“No.” I look around. “It’s different than what I was expecting, though. Like, classier? Is that awful to say?”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Marsh stifles a laugh. “Kudos to the waitresses, though. They know where the money is.”

He frowns like something just came to him and then pulls out his phone.

“Everything okay?” I watch him aggressively type something.

He continues typing and then looks up at me. “I’m wondering if there’s something there.”

“What?”