“Which we both know they’re not. So we’ll go, make fun of them, and ogle Demon for a while. You have to admit, the guy is seriously built. Did you see the size of his hands?” Jeff fanned himself.
Marlie grinned. “He had big feet too.”
“And he likes cats. He called in that rescue and helped out.” Jeff snagged some popcorn from the cushions and popped them in his mouth. “I wonder what his parents are like. You said he was drinking to avoid them? At ten in the morning?”
She snorted. “Yeah, that’s a little suspect.”
“Why? Because it’s exactly the way you react to your parents, or because that’s too early to drink?”
“Both.”
“Hey, it’s always five o’clock somewhere.”
Marlie shook her head. “You’re so nonjudgemental when it’s someone else drinking. I take a few shots before nine and it’s, oh my God! Drinking problem, drinking problem!”
“Marlie, you were fourteen.”
“Yeah? Well, so were you. Narc.”
“Never letting that one go, I see.”
They munched popcorn and stared at each other.
“I’m bored,” they said at the same time then sighed.
Jeff’s phone dinged. He glanced at it and brightened. “Solution—let’s go crash a party.”
“Who do we know that parties?”
“Trust me, okay? It’s a holiday party. Nothing fancy. A friend of friend is there. We can go because we also know people. It’s pretty loose with invites.”
“Are you sure?” She glared at him. “Because you’ve gotten us kicked out of too many parties to mention.”
“No. You’ve gotten yourself kicked out. I’m delightful, I’m handsome, and I’m a doctor! You’re just some loser writing teacher who glares men into submission. What have I told you about the art of seduction, Mad Marlie?”
“It’s not my fault. It’s my brothers. Any time I try to be nice to a guy when they’re around, they get a little kooky.”
“Well, that’s true. But I’m not your brother. I’m your best wingman. Let’s go eat and drink someone else’s goodies and enjoy the night. Then we’ll be strong enough to survive Thanksgiving tomorrow with family.”
She stood with him, glancing down at her serviceable jeans and sweater. “I’m okay?”
“Perfect. But I’m putting on my tighter jeans just in case.”
“Go for it, Romeo.”
While she waited, she wondered what Jeff had to be worried about. His family loved and supported their mega-successful son. And with his sister, Carly, the proverbial black sheep of the family, he really had no issues at home.
Whereas Marlie would have to run the gauntlet of what guy she might or might not be seeing, because no doubt, by now, word had spread about her breakup with Ben. With her twin a cop, older brother, Ed, an architect who knew all the movers and shakers in town, and her eldest brother, Will, an electrician who’d worked on half the houses in Hope’s Turn, she had no chance of being unseen.
She groaned, remembering how she’d stupidly told Steve he was “cock-blocking” her with Damon. Funny, yet a little too blunt. Then again, Steve wanted Damon’s help for his team. He wouldn’t mess that up by admitting to their parents that Marlie had an interested new potential beau.
Beau. As if that’s what Damon was. The guy had stared at her boobs. He’d hounded her for a date. A guy who looked like that, being a professional athlete, could likely get any woman he wanted. Hmm. She’d spent so long looking for a nice guy and come up empty. Perhaps it was time to go for a bad boy.
She’d sex him up and watch him leave without any expectations. That she could do.
She pondered how best to make that happen as they drove over to a large home in a nicer area of town. A ton of cars had been parked along the street and long driveway.
“Whose house is this?” Someone with money, because the plots of land were large, and each home in the area could have fit six to seven of her tiny cottages inside them. The large midcentury modern styled home they approached was gorgeous but way too big for her.
