I’d told him that he was prettier than I was, but that had been a lie. He wasn’t pretty; he was beautiful in a way that only a man could be. Muscular, commanding, confident. If I were looking for someone to spend time with, he’d be my exact type.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t looking. I was busy every day of the week and most nights. Working full-time and finishing graduate school pretty much took up every waking minute I had.

That didn’t mean that I was willing to look less than spectacular when I saw him again, though. There would be a lot of people at that party, plenty of women to catch his eye, but I wanted to be the one he couldn’t look away from.

I grabbed my favorite black sweater from the closet. It hung off my shoulder and gave the impression that I didn’t have anything on underneath. Sexy, but not trashy. There was something incredibly provocative about a bare shoulder or a high-necked dress that showed off a woman’s legs but nothing else.

As soon as I had my clothes laid out for the next day, I grabbed a cup of tea and climbed into bed with my planner. The next week was already full of reminders and timelines, but I still found a few spaces to make notes. I didn’t have much to add, because I always filled the little date boxes weeks in advance, but scheduling my time and making lists calmed me. Before long, my nervousness about seeing Alex again was gone.

*  *  *

The next morning I allowed myself to sleep in. Since I worked full-time and took classes at night, weekends were usually filled with homework and household chores. I’d known before I’d fallen asleep that I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on schoolwork before the party, though, so I hadn’t set an alarm. I’d needed the sleep so badly that by the time I woke up, it was already noon.

Funny, handsome Alex Evans filled my thoughts as soon as I opened my eyes. It was ridiculous, and I knew that I had to stay on course and not get distracted by a guy, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. It had been a few weeks since the awkward double date when we’d met, and I still thought about him on almost a daily basis. It was a little pathetic, really. I smiled as I remembered how he’d been so impressed by the chopsticks trick that he’d brought them home with him.

For all I knew, he had a girlfriend now. Maybe he’d show up with her this afternoon, and my outfit would go unnoticed. That would probably be for the best.