A teaser from my sophomore novel When Ivy Met Adam. Available now on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible where it’s narrated by CJ Bloom and produced by Blue Nose Audio.

“I ran into my ex on the job,” I say as I get up after eight easy reps.

“No fucking way.” He laughs. “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into yours. What happened?”

I tell him the short version of the story while adding another plate to each side.

“Well, if you wanted to win her back, I’d say saving her life is a really good way to go about that,” he says, still laughing.

We both pay close attention as I power through eight reps at the new weight. It’s getting harder, but I think I can add more.

I get up from the bench and grab another set of plates. “Oh, I want her back. I’ve been pining for this woman for years. Wanna hear the craziest part? We met on a dating app. Not like, all those years ago. Like two weeks ago.”

“Hopena,” Nelson says.

“What’s that? Hope what?” I grin stupidly.

“My tutu used to say hopena when something was fate, destined, meant to be,” he says.

I nod slowly. “Hopena. Yeah.”