It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

His voice makes my skin feel tingly. I flip the camera around and hold it
up with an I told you so expression. My wet hair is still wrapped in a towel,
I’m wearing a nightgown my grandmother probably used to own, and my
face is still covered in green foam.
His smile is fluid and sexy. He’s sitting up in bed, wearing a white T-shirt,
leaning against a black wooden headboard. The one time I went to his house,
I never went into his bedroom. His wall is blue, like denim.
“This was definitely worth the decision to video-chat,” he says.
I set the phone back down, facing me this time, and finish rinsing.
“Thanks for lunch today.” I don’t want to give him too much praise, but it
was the best pasta I’ve ever had. And it was two hours old before I even had
a chance to take a lunch break and eat it.
“You liked the why are you avoiding me pasta?”
“You know it was great.” I walk to my bed once I’m finished in the
bathroom. I prop my phone on a pillow and lie on my side. “How was your
day?”
“It was good,” he says, but he’s not very convincing with the way his
voice drops on the word good.
I make a face to let him know I don’t believe him.
He looks away from the screen for a second, like he’s processing a
thought. “It’s just one of those weeks, Lily. It’s better now, though.” His
mouth curls into a slight grin, and it makes me smile, too.
I don’t even have to make small talk. I’d be happy just staring at him in
complete silence for an hour.
“What’s your new restaurant called?” I already know it’s his last name,
but I don’t want him to know I googled him.
“Corrigan’s.”
“Is it the same kind of food as Bib’s?”
“Sort of. It’s fine dining, but with an Italian-inspired menu.” He rolls onto
his side, propping his phone on something so that he’s mirroring my position.
It feels like old times when we’d stay up late chatting on my bed. “I don’t
want to talk about me. How are you? How’s the floral business? What’s your
daughter like?”
“That’s a lot of questions.”
“I have a lot more, but let’s start with those.”
“Okay. Well. I’m good. Exhausted most of the time, but I guess that’s
what I get for being a business owner and a single mother.”