12
“Well, well,” Taina says into my ear, “look who finally decided to give attention to her worried, restless sister.”
I pat my finishing powder into my face, speaking loud enough that my phone—buried under makeup brushes on the bathroom counter—picks up on it. “I have texted you over five times each day.”
“Texting isn’t the same; anyone can text. What if some freak stole your phone and was messaging me the whole time? How would I know it’s you?”
“How do you know I don’t have a gun to my head and my kidnapper isn’t forcing me to speak with you right now?” I counter.
She pauses, then says, “I’ve already contacted the authorities. You’ll never get away.”
I snort. “My hero.”
“Speaking of heroes,” Taina says—and I can visualize the exact smirk on her pretty, nosy little face—“how’s the sexy boy toy wandering around the house? Has he made any moves?”
“Now, Taina, why would the man paying me to ruin his sister’s wedding make a move on me?”
“Because you’re equally as sexy, and you’re smart, and fun, and have a perky ass.”
“It is very nice.”
“Do you want to sleep with him?”
I shut my compact and start gathering all my stray items, shoving them into my makeup bag. “Sleep with who?”
“I’ll kill you.”
“Then I’m better off staying with my kidnapper.” I take her off speaker and bring the phone to my cheek. “I’m not sleeping with Anders.”
“Why?” she asks. “He’s right there.”
“I’ll get too emotionally attached.” I look over my shoulder, making sure the door is shut. “If I could sleep with him and be done, then I would—God, he is so beautiful.”
“I knew it! You slut; you sexy little slut,” she says, delighted. “What’s wrong with getting emotionally attached? From what you’ve said, it’s not like he’s a bad person.”
“Right,” I say, looking in the full-length mirror, adjusting my hair’s middle part.
“But we live in entirely different states. He’s technically my client, so if I sleep with him, that’s way too messy.
And once this is all over, realistically, what’s going to happen?
We’re going to live happily ever after when his family finds out what I did? ”
“Lucy, look at me right now.”
“We’re on the phone.”
“Look at me in my soul eyes. I know you can feel me staring at you,” she says.
“Honestly, who cares? I think you’ve earned the right to be a little selfish.
If you want to have sex with a man—regardless of the consequences or mess—then that’s your God-given right as a woman.
If God didn’t want you to hook up with hot men, he wouldn’t have made you so beautiful.
You’re actually going against your duty here. ”
“I can feel Dad getting upset with your blasphemous use of God’s name right now.”
“If he has a problem, why doesn’t he put those dusty little bones together and come fight me, then?”
“Taina!”
“Am I wrong?”
“Yes,” I say. “And okay, fine—if I’m honest, I’m pretty sure there is some sexual tension between us, but I also know that I’m so deprived of any romantic relationship, something casual feels incredibly more intense for me than it might for him.”
“Here’s an idea,” Taina says in such a condescending tone I instantly try to tune her out. “Instead of wondering if it’s as intense for him, why don’t you just ask him?”
“Anyway,” I say, not admitting that her words hold weight—or that the encouragement to explore Anders eases some of my jumbled thoughts—“on to vastly more important things: How are you?”
I can feel her rolling her eyes. “I’m fine.
Bored. Mathew and I are having dinner tonight with some friends.
In two weeks he’ll be gone for a work trip.
I’ll be all by myself, then. If only there were someplace warm, someplace with beaches, someplace with someone whom I love so much and would love to tan with, that I could go visit . . .”
“Well, hope you find the place.”
“Lucy,” Taina snaps, “let me come visit.”
“And stay where?”
“Don’t worry,” she says. “I wouldn’t want to cockblock. I’d get a place nearby. Only see you when you’re free.”
I chew on the inside of my mouth. It would be nice to have Taina nearby.
And if Mathew is going to be away anyway, he won’t be able to say I’m taking Taina from him.
As long as this trip is out of boredom, and not Taina coming to rescue her pathetic older sister, he shouldn’t have a problem with it.
Somehow my gut tells me he’ll find one anyway.
“I’ll think about it,” I promise. “I have to go now.”
“Okay, I love you. Have safe sex—”
I hang up on her and exit the room.
Anders waits by the island in the kitchen, sipping from a mug that reads Best Uncle Ever.
“Sorry for the hold-up,” I say, dropping my phone on the counter. “Did a life check with my sister.”
He smiles at that, the dimples at the corners of his lips denting, and my heart speeds up.
“Tea?” he asks, gesturing to a second, plain mug on the counter.
I’m about to say no, because I’ve always believed tea is the equivalent of sewer water, but I see the steam rising from the cup and realize that he’s already made me one.
“Thanks,” I say, grabbing it with both hands, and before I can cop out, I bring it to my lips. It’s exactly what I thought: hot, stagnant, and muddy. I lick my lips and nod, as if it’s to my exact taste.
Anders reaches over and pulls it from my hands. “That was insultingly bad acting.”
I bark out a laugh. “No, no, no!” I try to snatch it from him. “I love it so much.”
“Yeah, right.”
“It’s my favorite drink of all time.” I grab it and try to pull. “Just delicious.”
He chuckles, and the sound feels like hundreds of feather tips tickling my skin.
“Get out of here.”
“No, let me drink it.”
He places his hand on my forehead and pushes gently. “You don’t have to drink it because I made it. It just means more for me.”
“Well”—I lean back—“if you’re that thirsty . . .”
He gives a full-on laugh that lifts my mouth into a smile. “You’re so generous.”
When I wink at him, his smile mirrors mine.
“So.” I clap my hands together. “Ready for our double date?”
“Whenever you are,” he says. “Anything you need from me?”
“Just stand around and look pretty, as you do,” I say.
“This is going to be super simple. I want to get to know them, see if I can spot any cracks I can widen more. I think our best bet is to get Valerie to see she doesn’t want this wedding.
Even if it seems John may be easier to convert, I won’t have much access to him to plant any seeds. Well, unless you want to take that on.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you two are close, aren’t you? Roommates. Or has it been a bit rocky since the whole engagement? Actually, can we unpack this before we meet them?”
He places the mug down. “We were closer in college, and then he moved to California to be with his family for a couple of years. We stayed in touch—monthly catch-ups—and if I was ever out west, we’d meet up, and vice versa.
” He clears his throat. “When Anna and I broke up, he came for two weeks and helped me move out. Awkwardly stuck around and never knew exactly what to say.”
“That was kind. Until, you know, he hooked up with your sister at some party.”
He winces. “Apparently, they got together that day, broke up that first week, then they were back together the next, engaged at the end of the month.”
“A shaky start. I wonder what it was that broke them up,” I say, more to myself. Maybe it’s something that can be broken again—especially if there’s a part still fragile from the first time.
“Not sure. John and I really haven’t spoken much since they announced they were getting married last month.”
My phone vibrates, and I catch the screen lighting up from my peripheral vision.
“Will it be weird for you?”
Anders’s gaze is on my phone after another vibration. Then he clears his throat, not looking at me when he says, “Maybe. This will be our first time meeting since.”
“I’ll do most of the talking,” I reassure him. “So it won’t be too bad.”
He nods, his gaze still on my phone. He looks a little uncomfortable. I frown, fearing Taina has sent some text of encouragement with way too many details about what I should do to Anders. I snatch my phone from in front of him and peek at the screen.
Nothing from Taina—just several notifications of likes on my dating profile.
Anders busies himself by turning his back on me, cleaning the mugs. I approach his side, peeking up at him with a grin. He slightly turns his cheek, and something in me bursts like stray embers from a campfire.
What an interesting reaction.
“I’m guessing you saw those notifications,” I say, leaning closer toward him until I pick up on his light, woody, fruity scent.
He clears his throat again.
I bring my hand toward his neck and press my thumb against the base of it. “You coming down with a cold?”
He stills, his hand freezes under the running water, but then he turns to meet my gaze. His eyes are warm—warming up the more we hold each other’s stare, like a pot of honey on a stove, simmering, then boiling.
“I’m okay,” he says gruffly.
Interesting.
“So,” I say, giddiness flooding through my veins, “tomorrow night, I’m going to be out late. You don’t have to wait up for me.”
He drops the mug he’s working on in the sink and faces me fully. “And where are you going?”
His left hand—still clutching the dishcloth—lands on his hip.
His face screams sexy, irritated man, but his body screams irritated, passive-aggressive housewife. The juxtaposition of it all makes me bury my face in my hands, smothering a cackle.
When I settle, remove my hands from my face, and catch his deepening scowl, the laughter takes over again. I pull open my profile on the app and hold out my phone to Anders.
He moves to shove it away. “I don’t need to see—what is this?”
“Not me,” I point out. The name on the page reads Ashley Palmer and features a beautiful blond I found on Pinterest who bears a striking resemblance to Valerie.
“Just in case John is actively seeking the comfort of other women, I made a profile that’s just his type.
I’ve gotten a lot of attention, but nothing from John yet.
He might not be a cheater, which would be the most obvious reason for a breakup. ”
“Oh,” he says, his shoulders relaxing. “Oh. This is bait.”
I nod. “Just trying to work every angle possible.”
“You really think of everything.”
“For some things.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Others, not so much.”
I’m not sure if it’s some kind of game, or if we just like staring intently at each other, but we lock gazes—and somehow Anders’s face inches closer to mine, or mine to his, or maybe we both just pull together like we’re magnetized.
Regardless, some of my confusion about reciprocated attraction begins to clear up.
Even when Anders drops the dishcloth over my face, breaking the moment, the fog continues to dissipate.
He’s not voicing it, but he’s annoyed at the thought of me going on a date.
Now, whether that’s because he thinks I should be focusing on the job or because he finds the idea of me going on a date romantically irritating—that’s still up for debate.
For now, I try to take Taina’s advice and not overthink. I laugh, toss the towel back at him, and head to the door.
“Hurry up—we don’t want to be late for our date!”