Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“Why didn’t you just make some at your house?” she asked, her nose all scrunched up.
“I did have a cup. You were sleeping when I made it. Now, I’d like another cup. There is a great coffee shop right around the corner. We can walk.”
She looked like she was about to say no when I added, “They have amazing tea.”
With a long, overly dramatic exhale, she turned off the car. “Fine.”
We both got out of the car and started to walk down the street. It wasn’t as cold as yesterday, thankfully, so it was actually a pleasant walk.
“I had the craziest dream last night.”
Clare glanced my way. “Oh yeah? What was it about?”
I met her gaze and was struck by the starburst at the center of those baby blues. “We kissed.”
Tripping, then righting herself, she started to cough.
“Christ, only you could trip and make yourself cough.”
I held onto her arm before she jerked it away. “Do you mind!”
Holding up my hands, I laughed. “Whoa, I was trying to help you so you didn’t fall.”
Clare turned and glared at me. “Why are you such a…”
Raising my brow, I asked, “A what?”
Turning her head to the right, then left, she stormed off.
“Um, Clare? You walked past the coffee shop.”
She spun on her heels. “Ugh! You are so frustrating.”
“What did I do? I just said I had a dream we kissed.”
Before she got to the door, she looked like she was about to say something, then pressed her lips together into a tight line.
“What? What happened last night?” I asked with an edge of uncertainty in my voice.
Clare stood ram rod straight, lifted her chin, and lied through her teeth. “Nothing. Nothing happened. You came home, went to your bedroom, and passed out on the bed.”
I nodded. “Huh. That dream felt awfully real.”
Her cheeks turned red, and before I could say anything else to fire her up, I heard a familiar voice call my name.
“Wes?”
Clare and I both turned to see who it was…although I already knew who it was.
“Mandy?”
We both said it at the same time. How in the hell did Clare know this was Mandy? I looked back at Clare with a confused look. She shrugged and said in a lowered voice, “I, umm, lucky guess. Plus, she’s your type.”
That caused me to pull my head back. “I don’t have a type.”
Clare let out a humorless laugh, leaned in and whispered, “You forget I saw your latest one-night stand leaving your apartment recently. Skinny, looks like a model, is willing to sleep with you. You have a type, Wes.”
Mandy walked up with a smile on her face. “Fancy meeting you here. Wes, are you seriously following me around?”
“Wow!” Clare said as she gave Mandy a once over.
Glancing at Clare and barely even acknowledging her, she focused back on me.
“No, Mandy. Clare and I stopped in to get coffee. My office is right down the road.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Ron is meeting me here.”
Clare folded her arms over her chest. “Oh, this should be fun.”
Looking annoyed, Mandy asked, “Who are you?”
Before Clare could answer, I blurted out, “This is Clare, my girlfriend.”
Mandy looked shocked, Clare looked…well…she looked like she was going to rip my balls off and shove them down my throat.
“Girlfriend? I see,” Mandy said as she gave Clare a once over. “Where did you meet?”
Clare and I looked at each other. When it was clear she wasn’t going to offer up anything, I did.
“Clare is Rory’s best friend. Rory is Finn’s wife.”
Mandy looked surprised again. “Finn is married?”
I smiled. “So is Preston.”
“Well, goodness. How is Angie?”
I kicked at nothing on the ground. “Good. She’s in college and doing well.”
Mandy ran her tongue over her lips as she glared at Clare. “So, tell me, Clare, how long have you been dating Wes?”
Without even blinking, Clare said, “About three months now. We’re one of those enemies to lovers’ kind of story. We couldn’t stand each other when we first met.” She looked at me and plastered on the fakest smile I’d ever seen. “Honestly, I’m not sure we even like each other now, but I think it makes things better in bed, so I keep him around.”
It was my turn to cough.
Mandy’s mouth dropped open and she turned to Wes. “Um…the flowers?”
“I told you, it was simply just a gesture as a friend.”
A muscle in Clare’s neck twitched.
“Mandy, darling!”
The three of us turned to see a guy who couldn’t possibly be over twenty walking up to Mandy. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Then looked at me and Clare.
“Friends of yours?” he asked.
I reached for his hand. “I’m Wes Ward, Mandy and I dated in high school and college.”
Clare covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile.
“Wes, well, it’s good to meet you. Mandy told me about you.”