I shake my head. I envy how confident she is. She knows what she wants and takes it, no shame.
“Which one?” I hold up the skirts I pulled from my closet. One is tan and plaid, while the other is a simple black pleated skirt.
“The black one.”
I nod and put the other away. Once every inch of her skin has been properly moisturized, Ellie blows me a kiss and goes back to her room. I get dressed and add a touch of blush, mascara, and some pink lipstick to my face before grabbing my shoes. I debated which ones to wear, but in the end I went bold.
“Liv! We need to go soon.”
I head into the living room to grab my coat.
“Oh my gosh! The shoes,” Ellie says, jumping from the couch.
I smile, lifting my foot and showing them off. “My feet are going to hate me, but beauty is pain after all.” Ellie bought me these sparkly Betsy Johnson shoes for my birthday last year, and I haven’t had a chance to wear them yet. They’ve been kept in a box in my closet, but like me, they deserve a night out.
“You look amazing. Travis isn’t going to be able to keep his hands off you,” I say, noting the red form-fitting long-sleeved sweater dress hugging her body. Her black leather jacket goes perfectly with it, giving her an edgy vibe I could never pull off.
“That’s the plan.” She checks her phone. “The guys are here.” She opens the door, and I follow, locking up behind us.
As we take the elevator down the four floors, I give myself an internal pep talk.You can do this.But as soon as I climb into the black F-250 and catch Penn’s icy blue eyes through the rearview mirror, I’m not so sure.
12
PENN
My jawnearly hits the fucking pavement when Olivia steps out of my truck at the movie theater. Her silky golden hair is pulled half up, with waves framing her face. She’s wearing a baggy sweater, a black flowy skirt, and some disco-ball-looking boots. She’s stunning. Fucking mouthwatering.
When Travis told me we were going out with the girls, my first question was what girls? He looked at me like I was stupid, but it was a valid question. I know he’s been talking to Ellie, but he hasn’t put this much effort into a chick since his last relationship ended.
I wasn’t too intent on a double date, or whatever this is. Shit is usually awkward, but I wasn’t going to pass up a chance to see Olivia again.
Travis takes Ellie’s hand, and I do a double-take, making sure I’m not imagining it as he leads her inside. I didn’t ask what we were watching because I didn’t care. Now I know it wouldn’t have mattered. There’s no way I’ll be able to focus with Olivia sitting next to me.
She stays a step ahead of me the entire time and takes out her wallet to pay for her ticket. I nudge her out of the way.
She rolls her eyes. “Thank you, but you didn’t need to do that. I can pay for my ticket. It’s not like this is a date, right?” she asks, uncertainty clear in her voice. She wants to know ifIsee it as a date.
I don’t. When I ask her out, there’s not going to be any question that it’s a date—one she wants to be on, and not because her friend is there.
“I’m sure you can, but so can I. Don’t worry, Barbie, this isn’t a date.”
She stares at me, brows pinched before she nods and walks off.
We grab seats in the last row, but as soon as I sit down, I realize I didn’t hit the concession stand. I make my way back to the lobby, and order a large popcorn, two drinks. Since I have no idea what Olivia likes, if she likes candy at all, I buy three different boxes.
Her eyes widen in shock as I slide past her and sit, placing the drink in her cup holder. “Sprite.” I wink, and her cheeks flush. I fucking love when she blushes.
“Thank you,” she says politely.
“I didn’t know what you liked, so I got some options. Have whatever you want.” I push the candy toward her—Milk Duds, M&M’s, and gummy bears.
Her brows furrow as she examines the boxes, clearly taken aback by my acts of chivalry. I can be a gentleman. She just doesn’t know that yet. After a minute, she takes the Milk Duds.Damn. I picked those for me, sure she wouldn’t want them.
“Nice choice,” I say.
She gives me a small smile. “When I used to trick or treat as a kid, I’d trade all my candy for my sister’s Milk Duds. We only ever got a few boxes, but I’d end up giving her my whole bagjust for that little bit.” She drops her gaze, biting her lip like she’s embarrassed about her little confession. So, I don’t say anything.
The lights go out a moment later, and the movie starts. She turns her attention to the screen, tearing open the box of candy. Travis picked some comedy, but I don’t even catch the title. I can’t seem to focus at all, unable to take my eyes off the woman beside me.
