2. Chapter 2 #2
I dive back into my sandwich and chips, not even chancing a look at the guy who smells way too good after leaving the gym. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Dane spin the chair backward and sit, resting his forearms over its back. With his wide stance, his leg brushes against mine.
I immediately jerk it away.
No touchy.
His half-musk, half-fresh spring rain deodorant smell wafts in my direction, making me wish I could dive face first into my cold glass of diet pop to drown myself. I don’t want to still be attracted to him. He’s a liar. And a fake. And—
“Daria?”
The concern in Jamie’s voice has me lifting my head and meeting her eyes. “Hm?”
Her wide gray gaze drops to my plate, then flits back to mine. “Um. I think the chicken is already dead.”
Ever so slowly, I look down.
I’m stabbing my chicken sandwich with a fork. Michael Meyers style. I let go, and the fork clatters to the plate. Everyone at the table stares at me like I’ve just grown a horn out of my forehead.
“Uh, sorry,” I apologize. “Just got lost in thought.”
Giving everyone the brightest smile I can manage while simultaneously dying inside, I grab my drink and take a stab at drowning myself via straw. Maybe if I just drink the pop super fast, it’ll flood my nasal passages in one fell swoop.
The conversation around me begins to pick up again and I breathe a small sigh of relief. That is, until Mr. Smells-Too-Good leans closer and whispers, “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”
I roll my eyes and face him. “You already are on my bad side.” The barest of smirks starts on his lips, but I’m focused on his eyes. “Why are you still wearing those dumb sunglasses? It’s not even that bright out.”
He tilts his head as if curious at my outburst. “We’re still outside. It’s perfectly acceptable for me to be wearing sunglasses.”
“But it’s not even that bright.”
“You already said that.”
We’re in a silent stare-down now and neither one of us is backing off. It would be easier to glare at him if I could see his eyes to know exactly where those bright blues are directed.
“Are you going to order?” I tilt my head toward the menu in the center of the table.
He shakes his head, not even attempting to take his eyes—er, sunglasses —off me. “I’m not hungry.”
That makes me scoff. “Then why are you even here? We’re having lunch, and you’re just crowding the table.”
At that, the chatter around us goes silent again, and I realize my voice was raised. My cheeks grow warm. I peek at Jamie, who looks both surprised and annoyed at my behavior.
“I’m…um…I need to use the restroom.”
Before I can second-guess my decision to flee, I’m hauling butt inside to the café’s ladies’ room.
Part of me feels like an absolute jerk for speaking to Jamie’s fiancé’s brother like that on an outing that’s technically wedding related, but another part is so irritated that Dane keeps popping up unannounced—All.
The. Time—that I can’t muster up any regret for my actions.
I push open the swinging bathroom door and duck inside a stall.
Resting my forehead against the cool tiled wall, I released a frustrated breath.
I get that Dane is Parker’s brother, his best man, and his roommate, but shouldn’t there be some more degrees of separation here?
It’s bad enough I’ll have to see him at the wedding and pre-wedding festivities, but now he’s just casually joining us for lunch.
Out of nowhere. For no reason at all.
“D? You in here?”
I bite back a groan and open my stall door. “Here.”
Jamie steps toward me with a hesitant smile. “I’m sorry.”
“ You’re sorry?” I ask, incredulous. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I was the one who was rude to Parker’s brother. Please tell your man I’m sorry.”
Jamie’s smile morphs into something more genuine as she wraps her arms around me. “I know why you’re frustrated, and yes, I am sorry. It can’t be easy seeing me plan my wedding, knowing we’ll be separating in a few weeks.”
Tears sting behind my eyes, but I blink them away before they have a chance to materialize.
“But I want you to know that Parker doesn’t replace you,” she continues. “You’re still my best froomie, even if we won’t be living together.”
I huff a laugh and lean back to look into her face. “But we’ll both have new roomies,” I say with a pooched-out bottom lip. “And what if Parker’s too neat for you? You’ll miss having my lacy bras hanging off the back of the bathroom door all the time.”
She giggles like I knew she would and steps toward the bathroom mirror to fix her hair. “I think I’ll manage if Parker is neat, but something tells me he’ll be just as messy as you.”
An uncomfortable ache infiltrates my chest at the thought of having to live with someone new. I’ve been on the hunt for a new apartment ever since Jamie announced they were moving up their wedding date, but vacancies are scarce in our community.
And with all I’m trying to save to get my own fashion line up and running, living alone isn’t really an option.
Not unless I can find a place that fits into my tight budget.
So I moved to the next step, searching the classifieds for people looking for a roommate.
And that went about as well as online dating.
One guy had a pet alligator in his tub that I’m pretty sure is illegal to have in the state of Ohio, and another girl who advertised a two-bedroom condo didn’t actually have two bedrooms. She said I’d have to sleep in the living room and told me to think of it like a studio apartment .
Basically, she just wanted someone there to split her rent.
Now Jamie and Parker’s wedding is in two weeks, and I’m no closer to finding a place to live than I was when I first started looking.
But I can’t tell Jamie that. She’ll feel horrible and scramble to try and find me somewhere to go.
And that feels too much like when I was a kid and got shuffled around from home to home without any say on where I’d end up.
I don’t need anyone’s help. I can take care of myself.
“Listen, D. I know things have been busy lately with me planning the wedding and all,” Jamie says, interrupting the rapid decline of my thoughts.
“But as soon as Parker and I get back from our honeymoon, things will slow down, and we’ll get right back to our routines.
Saturday morning brunch and farmer’s market?
Back on! We can even have some movie night sleepovers, just like old times.
I’ll kick Parker out and make him go stay with Dane. ”
She chuckles and washes her hands, but just the mention of that man ’s name has my hair standing on end.
“You know,” she continues, “Dane is really nice when you get to know him.”
“I’m sure he is.” I ignore her knowing look and start washing my hands in the opposite sink, hoping she’ll let the subject drop. I haven’t told her about my first meeting with Charles , and I don’t plan to. It’s not like it matters anyway.
Sure, I was smitten once, ready to take a chance on a gorgeous guy I’d met at a random party, but that moment has passed. I am no longer attracted to Parker’s brother.
Repeating that mantra, I charge out of the café’s restroom with my head held high. And because fate has always been a cruel dictator in my life, I run straight into the solid shoulder of the man I’ve sworn to ignore.