Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“Wow, ouch,” I muttered.
Fiona looked apologetic. “Sorry, but it’s true. Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Do something to feel good about yourself. And Blake is the right guy for it.”
Connor glanced between us, his mobile in his hand.
“Okay, tell him I’m available,” I said finally.
Fiona grinned and kissed Connor’s cheek as if he’d just won a match. I rolled my eyes. Fiona was a bit too invested in my love life.
Connor typed a short message, then nodded. “All done.”
“Maybe he isn’t interested in me anymore. Or maybe he just asked to be polite. Who says he’s even interested in me?” I tugged at my blouse.
Connor snorted. “Men don’t ask about a girl’s dating status if they’re not interested in getting hot and heavy with her.”
“Hot and heavy, huh?” I said with a laugh. “The last hot and heavy experience had me sore for two days, so thank you, but no.”
Connor grimaced. But they had started poking their noses in my business. Now they had to deal with the consequences.
Fiona leaned beside me against the counter. “Your second time will be better, trust me.”
“I’ll take that as my clue to leave,” Connor muttered, and slipped out.
Fiona shook her head with a small smile. “Wimp.”
My phone beeped with a message. Fiona’s eyes widened. “That’s him.”
“You don’t know that,” I said, but when I stared down at my cell, I saw that it was indeed from Blake and he was asking me for a date.
“And what’s he saying?” Fiona asked, twisting her neck to catch a glance at my phone.
“He’s asking if I would like to go out with him tonight.”
“Wow, he’s eager. That’s good.”
It seemed like a good thing, and it was flattering, though I still wasn’t sure if Blake was really interested in me like that. “What do I say?”
“You say yes, for God’s sake. Go out with him.”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure I’m ready to have my heart broken again.”
“Then keep your heart out of it.”
As if it was as easy as that.
“Evie, do me a favor, and go on a date with Blake. He’s a decent guy despite being a rugby player. He’s never been one for whoring around.”
I hesitated, but Fiona was begging me with her eyes, and then I remembered that Xavier was supposed to meet Dakota again tonight. Why should I be home alone when he was out having fun?
I messaged Blake back and agreed to meet him the same evening. He wrote back within a couple of minutes, saying he would pick me up at eight for dinner and a club afterward if I was up for it. I was.
Fiona clapped her hands. “Okay. Now we need to get ready.”
“We?”
“You will look spectacular. Blake will fall over backwards when he sees you.”
I didn’t protest. Fiona was a woman on a mission, and the last few times she’d helped me get ready had worked out well. Too well in Xavier’s case… But I definitely wasn’t going to sleep with Blake or anyone any time soon.
Blake picked me up at eight, dressed in slacks and a white dress shirt, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. His blue eyes slid over my body. I was still insecure in outfits like this. Tight dark red leather skirt reaching up to my waist to accentuate it, and glittery silk top stuffed into the hem. The outfit accentuated my waist, hips and breasts. Everything it was supposed to, as Fiona put it. With my heels, I was almost eye level with Blake, which was new, since Xavier was almost a head taller than me even with these shoes. Blake was still tall and incredibly muscled.
“You look beautiful,” Blake said with an easygoing smile, and I quickly pushed Xavier out of my mind. It would have been unfair of me to compare Blake to Xavier.
“Thank you,” I said with an earnest smile.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
I nodded. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a nice fish restaurant close to the harbor. I’ve been there a few times. They serve delicious oysters.”
Oysters and I didn’t go well together, but I didn’t say anything. “That sounds great.”
Luckily, they had more than oysters and I ordered a nice tuna steak. Talking to Blake was easy. He was interested in my life in the States and never mentioned my current job. A big plus. When we left the restaurant around eleven, I was relaxed and glad that I’d accepted Blake’s invitation. He was a gentleman like Fiona had said. “Still up for some dancing?” he asked with an inviting grin as we settled in his car.
“Definitely,” I said. His eyes darted to my lips, and my stomach flopped. I quickly lowered my gaze to my hands resting in my lap, trying to dissuade him from a possible kissing attempt. Blake looked kissable, no question, but I wasn’t ready for that kind of leap yet.