Read Online What He's Been Missing by Grace Octavia - Free Book Online Page A

me.
    â€œI wasn’t talking about the wedding. No one was talking about any wedding,” I said. I knew this was coming. But Ian knew my rule: I don’t plan friends’ weddings. No mixing business with pleasure; it always goes wrong.
    â€œCome on, Rach! You know I have to ask.”
    â€œAnd you know my rule.” I started walking back to the garage.
    â€œI know, and I told Scarlet, but why can’t you at least talk to her about it?” He grabbed my arm.
    â€œAbout what?”
    â€œAbout planning our wedding,” Ian said.
    â€œI can’t. I won’t,” I said.
    â€œWon’t?” Ian followed me closer to the garage. “That sounds like more than principles.”
    â€œIan, I just don’t do that.”
    â€œIt’s all Scarlet is talking about. She’s telling everyone my best friend is planning the wedding.”
    â€œWhat? She’s telling people that? You need to tell her I’m not doing it.”
    â€œI think it’ll come off better if she hears it from you. If I say it, she’ll think it’s because you don’t like her—”
    â€œWell, I—”
    â€œBut if you say it, she’ll know it’s not personal.” He made it sound so simple, but I knew better.
    â€œThis is a setup,” I said.
    â€œHow about over dinner tonight? My treat. Parish at eight?” He pulled the keys from his pocket like it was a done deal.
    â€œParish? Tonight? I can’t!”
    â€œYou can’t?” Ian frowned in disbelief. “Why?”
    â€œBecause I—I—”
    â€œYou what?”
    â€œI have a date!”
    â€œWhatever!” Ian laughed like he expected me to join in. “A date? There’s no way!”
    â€œNo way?”
    â€œYou tell me everything. I would know.”
    â€œWell, maybe right now you don’t know,” I teased like we were in a school yard.
    â€œWhy wouldn’t I know?” Ian stepped in close to me like a bouncer.
    â€œBecause . . . because I just made the date.”
    â€œYou just made a date?” Ian smirked.
    â€œYeah!”
    â€œWith?”
    I looked around and there was Bird still grinning at me from the red truck.
    â€œHim!” I pointed to Bird.
    â€œHim?” Ian looked at Bird.
    Bird waved.
    â€œFine,” Ian said. “If that’s what you want. Fine. How about tomorrow? Lunch?”
    â€œLunch? That’s our lunch. We always go alone. No one else,” I said.
    â€œJust this one time,” he said. “So you can tell Scarlet about your rule, and she can get it out of her head and we can be done with it.”
    I exhaled as I watched Bird cleaning a tool he was holding at his waist.
    â€œI’ll do it,” I said.
    â€œGreat! Same place as always?”
    â€œSame place,” I said. “Same time.”
    â€œGood. I’ll tell Scar,” Ian said, taking out his phone as he started walking back to his car. “And have a good time”—he pointed at the sign—“Big Bird.”
    â€œSo, you’re a woman of your word?” Bird said when Ian was gone. “Guess I’ll see you tonight.”

    I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to think of how I could get out of the date with Bird, but the truth was, I didn’t have anything else to do. Either I’d sit at home or go out to confirm what I already knew: there was no way anything between Bird and me would develop. We were just too different. I kept reminding myself that I wasn’t making love plans. But it wasn’t bad to have some plans. And what harm could he be? He was named after one of nature’s most splendid creatures . . . and the most popular puppet on Sesame Street. Maybe he was the man I’d been waiting for. The one to sweep me off my feet. Be full of surprises I couldn’t imagine. Sure, he seemed to like gold jewelry and obviously had some kind of s-curl kit in his hair. But I could