eighth grade she’d given Peter Horn a black eye when she accidentally fell on him as he tried to maneuver her beneath the mistletoe during a Christmas dance.
By the time she’d wanted a boy to make a move on her, she’d garnered the reputation of hurting any male unfortunate enough to give her a second glance.
The bad rap had stuck.
She’d had dates since then, but exactly one per guy. Just enough to warn them their life was in dire danger if they dared ask her out a second time.
She’d never figured out why she was such a big klutz around men. Her brother Michael said it was because she spent too much of her time worrying about things other kids didn’t have to, things like having enough money to eat that week. Or was their mother depressed again. Michael said as a result of those worries, Hannah spent too much time caring about everyone other than herself. But she couldn’t help it, it was a habit years in the making.
Hannah believed her brother. She just didn’t know what to do about it. Rather than face the humiliation of continuing to try, she’d taken a break from actively pursuing a dating life.
But her heart had never gotten the message. It continued to yearn and burn to know what she was missing.
Which had nothing to do with this meeting, darn it. “Guys, come on now, we—”
“Romance...” Tara said dreamily. “Sweet nothings, slow dancing, and long-stemmed roses. I want the whole enchilada.”
“Try a good steamy novel then,” Hannah suggested, determined to move on. “They have guaranteed happy endings.” She leaned over to tap her pencil on their supposed list of goals, which at the moment included only one—Lose Single Status. “We have to get serious here.”
But really, who was she to begrudge her friends needing more, just because she’d always failed at it? Just because her whole life was the Norfolk Inn, that didn’t mean it had to be the same way for them. Yes, it was a dream come true for all of them to work together at their own business, but neither Alexi nor Tara ever put work ahead of their own personal lives.
Hannah did. She just didn’t know how to do anything else.
Maybe they were right. Maybe it was time for a change. A new attitude. She was older, wiser too. Certainly she could do anything she set her mind to.
After this meeting.
“So...it’s settled?” Alexi asked them. “We’re all going for it? Most important goal for the summer, lose single status?”
“Count me in,” Tara said. “Hannah?”
“Well—”
“Just third the motion, would you?”
All she had to do was say the words. Put voice to the need deep inside her, that she’d love to find someone to go out with, someone she could trust enough to lose more than her “single” status to.
Besides, Alexi and Tara looked so excited about the prospect of summer, and of finding someone.... How could she disappoint them? She could just agree, and then forget about it. “I give,” she said. “Can we finish discussing the business now?”
“How about we up the ante first?” Alexi suggested. “Whoever gets unsingle doesn’t have to clean toilets all summer. Seeing as how I’m going to win and all.”
“Maybe our goal should be to hire the maid we’ve been promising ourselves,” Hannah suggested instead, but both Tara and Alexi shook their heads.
“We’re doing good, but not that good, not yet,” Tara reminded her. “It’s not in the budget until next spring.”
“So...” Alexi’s eyes sparkled. “What do you guys think about the toilet challenge?”
“It’s sort of high-school, isn’t it?” Tara asked.
Which had Alexi laughing again. “So naturally, you’re in.”
“Are you kidding?” Tara grinned. “And miss this? Of course I’m in. Like I have to worry about losing anyway.”
“Not when we have Hannah in the mix for the handicap.”
They both looked at her with warm, loving amusement and she cast a glance heavenward. “Just because I don’t date a lot—”
“Honey, you don’t date at all.”
“Well you wouldn’t if you had my bad luck.”
“Yes, I would,” Alexi said, her face suddenly serious. “I’d try. You just haven’t found the right one yet, someone who makes you feel special.”
“Absolutely,” Tara agreed. “You can’t give up.”
But Hannah had given up. It was far easier on both her heart and ego. “In today’s day and age,” she said as primly as she could, “we have to be careful.”
“Careful yes,” Tara corrected. “Alone, no.”
“I said I’d do it.” And she would, just so they could get on with their work stuff. She didn’t want a relationship; she didn’t have the time or inclination. And anyway, if she was going to set a goal for herself, it would be something easier.
Something personal.
She wanted to lose her virginity.
“To us then.” Alexi held out her hand. Tara placed hers in it, and with reluctance, so did Hannah.
“Good luck, ladies,” Alexi said as they shook.
“I declare this meeting concluded. May the best woman win.”
“Okay, great.” Hannah raised her pad of paper. “Now back to business.”
Alexi and Tara sighed but settled in, mostly to humor her. It didn’t matter; Hannah was glad to be back on track.
And yet for the next hour, while they discussed finances and services, all she could think about was...what if she’d been too hasty in assuming she would lose their challenge?
What if she could really do it, really actually manage to meet her personal goal of losing her virginity? She could just dip her toe into romance, so to speak, then get back to her life.
Nice dream, but impossible, given reality.
There was no man in sight begging for her body.
* * *
HANNAH STOOD ALONE in front of the freshly scrubbed kitchen sink, having just happily run herself ragged cleaning up the evening’s meal for their very full house.
Out the window to the right, the sun slowly disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. The colors exploded, and she stood there riveted by the sight.
She loved it here. It was calm, peaceful. Perfect.
To the
