DEX WALKED BRISKLY TOWARD THE fountain. He was wearing a black baseball cap and carrying a bouquet of roses. A. A. felt so elated she couldn’t even speak for a moment. It’s him. I knew it. He looked even more handsome than she remembered. She couldn’t stand it anymore. “Dex!” she called, waving. He broke stride and looked around. Then he spotted her, and a big, goofy grin came over his face. “Hey, Ashley Alioto, right?” he asked, squinting at her. “Dexter Bond,” she said coyly. He sat on the bench next to her and placed the bouquet of flowers between them. A. A. tugged on the Hermès scarf. It was a present from the fashion house to her mother for starring in one of their ad campaigns a long time ago. She’d figured it would look nice with her dark hair. “I’m wearing red,” she said, thinking it was an odd way to start a conversation with laxjock—Dex—but she felt suddenly shy. Online, she could tell laxjock anything. But now that he was actually sitting next to her, it was like she’d hit the mute button.
