Chapter 24
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
IN THE PAST week, Elijah talked to Georgia every day.
Which wasn’t his normal MO when it came to the women he slept with.
But Georgia was different. That was apparent from the moment he met her.
Peach: I don’t feel like going to the bar.
This was their first text of the day, but he was busy. Elijah busted his ass laying down the hardwood floor in his basement.
Though he did keep it near him, just in case.
Fine, he checked it a million times too.
Georgia didn’t reach out until after dinner around eight, but he would take it.
Elijah: Is there a hostage situation forcing you to go?
Peach: Would you consider Sophie a captor?
Elijah: She has the potential for it. Sounds like you’ll be at Lighthouse soon.
Fuck, he hated her going to the bar without him. She was some sort of magnet who attracted every asshole within a fifteen-mile radius. Of course he didn’t want her to be in danger, but the other part of him, the possessive asshole caveman part, didn’t like her alone with other men.
There was an easy solution, but would she take it?
Elijah: You could tell Sophie you’re coming to hang out with me instead.
He paced a bit in his living room, waiting for her to respond. To his fucking relief, she called.
“How much ransom is she asking for?” Elijah joked with Georgia when he answered, which made her giggle.
“Apparently, me hanging out with you is a good enough excuse to get me out of being a wing-woman.”
That was exactly why Elijah didn’t want her to be at the bar without him.
They were friends, and she’d make a horrible wing-woman.
“Is the excuse an actual invite?” Georgia asked as he heard the sound of her door slamming shut.
Hell yes, Elijah grinned. His peach was coming over.
“I’d hate to see the wrath of Sophie if she finds out we were lying.”
“She can be scary. Hold on, my phone’s going to switch to Bluetooth,” she told him while the phone reconnected in her car. “When we were in middle school, Nash promised to take us to the mall, but instead, he brought a girl over and locked himself away in his room. Sophie toilet papered his car.”
Damn, Sophie was a bit scary even when she was thirteen.
“Is that what started their hatred toward each other?”
“Nope. Sophie never liked him, but his loathing started later,” she confided in him. “But it’s safe to say they do not like each other.”
“Or it’s the longest game of foreplay.”
“Gross. Also, I’m out front.”
Elijah opened the door, and Georgia stood in front of him, both of them still on their phones. Her hair was down and wavy, and she wore no makeup. She was perfect.
“It’s not gross if they want to fuck each other.” He taunted her, but it felt more like he was talking about the two of them, not Sophie and Nash.
Georgia shook her head, sticking her tongue out, and hung up on him before she pushed herself inside.
Elijah shut and locked his door before he went into the kitchen, where she stood in front of the open refrigerator. He checked her out in her white shorts that hugged her round ass. She was wearing a lacy black top over a black camisole.
Turning to face him, she held up a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. “Want a glass of wine?”
“Why are you dressed up if you didn’t want to go to the bar?” Elijah moved to the cabinet where the wineglasses were. He grabbed two, then put them on the island.
Georgia yanked the cork off and filled the glasses to the rim.
“I didn’t want Sophie to go out alone,” she admitted. “Sloane was up to going out though, so it wasn’t a big deal if I bailed.”
“And here I thought it was a hostage situation.”
Georgia sipped her wine. “Will it make you feel better if I said you saved the day?”
They moved in tandem into the living room to sit on the couch.
“Maybe.”
As dramatic as ever, Georgia’s head flailed back to hit the couch cushion, and her hand rested over her forehead. “Elijah, you saved me from a night of a sticky bar floor, cheap drinks, and loud music. How can I repay you?”
A few things popped into his mind, but none of them were friendly. And this week, they managed to do that: be friendly with each other. Maybe that was all she wanted. It wasn’t like he wanted a relationship.
The only option was to eliminate fucking her, no matter how badly he wanted to sink into her sweet cunt again.
He took a mouthful of wine and swallowed. “You can be my friend.”
Georgia lifted an eyebrow. “Did you just friend-zone me?”
“What else would you call us?”
Neither one of them spoke for a few minutes.
Until Georgia broke the silence. “Fine, if we’re friends, you can help me find someone to date.”
This was the worst friendship ever.
IF HE WANTED to friend-zone her, fine.
But she was going to make him miserable because of it.
Georgia patted the space next to her, and she bit her tongue not to laugh at the sourpuss look on his face. He moved next to her, and once they were sitting with their legs touching, he leaned onto the couch and crossed his arms.
“Why are we looking at your phone?” His voice was crisp.
She opened LoveToday, a new dating app she planned to sign up for. This wasn’t exactly what she wanted, but since Elijah didn’t give her more, this was her next best option.
“Your age is showing,” Georgia teased him while creating her profile.
“I’m thirty-eight,” he countered. “And I realize you are on a dating app, but I don’t understand why.”
“Because I want to date and this is how it works these days.”
“You could meet someone when you go out. That’s how we met.”
“And look what good that did me.”
Georgia felt his hand twitch at his side, and she gave herself a point for getting under his skin.
“Dating apps are dangerous.” Elijah grabbed the phone from her hand and chucked it behind them.
“Anything is dangerous.” Georgia was sick of his go-to excuse. She got up, circled to the back of the room, and picked up her phone. Moving back to the couch, she sat down.
Elijah peered over to read what she was typing on her profile.
He huffed. “You are not looking for casual.”
“I’m up for anything.” She swatted him away. “Now I get to swipe.”
“He’s a no,” Elijah said after looking at her first option for all of two seconds.
She squinted at the guy’s picture. “He’s cute.”
“He’s recently divorced, and I can guarantee he is fucking anything with a pussy, so you’re going to give him a thumbs down.”
“Hmm, good point.” She declined the guy and moved to the next person. “Okay, this man is hot and looking for love.”
“No,” Elijah vetoed. “Did you read the rest of his profile? He still lives at home. In reality, he is looking for a roommate, not love.”
“That’s a little harsh. Maybe he just moved back to town like me.”
“Doubt it. Thumbs down and move on.”
“For a friend, you are certainly judgmental.” Georgia did listen to his advice and gave the guy a thumbs down, swiping to the next one.
“Someone has to be,” he snidely responded.
The next few guys were a no to Elijah. They were either too young or too old, or they had poor taste in music. He even nixed a guy because of dishes in the sink in the background of his picture.
Elijah took her phone and put it on the coffee table. “Why is this,” he pointed at her cell, “your only option?”
“Because now that I’ve had sex, I’d like to continue having sex.”
His stare caught her, and the heat in his eyes was enough to make her wet. Elijah was beyond sexy, and this whole friendship thing was such a farce.
But maybe she had a solution.
“I made a list of all the things I want to try in bed.”
“Yes,” he said dryly. “You’ve mentioned and refused to share it with me.”
“It’s about my sexual fantasies.” She watched him clench both his hands into fists. “And I need a partner to do them with.”
“If this is your attempt to get me to take you out to dinner, it worked, but it’s not a date.”
“It’s ten o’clock at night, and I’m ready to go home.”
Elijah stood. “Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow for brunch.”
Georgia scrambled to stand up with him, shocked by this non-date date. “What time?”
“Be ready by eleven.”
Georgia left his house happy and confused at the same time.
But one thing was for certain.Screw the friend zone.