“Nope. I’m calling you clueless.”
“I’m not clueless,” I argued, drenching my curls in foam, trying to control them.
“Yes you are. Case in point: Kyle Morris was crushing all over you throughout our entire senior year, and you had no idea.”
“Kyle Morris took Savannah Thompson to prom. If he liked me half as much as you swear he did, why didn’t he ask me?”
Adona threw her head back dramatically. “Because he asked you to go to lunch and you said no.”
“I brought lunch that day. Why would I go out and spend money?” I asked. We’d had this argument more than a dozen times, and I still couldn’t see why one lunch would determine whether or not a guy asked me to a dance.
“And that’s what I’m talking about.” She shook her head. “Clueless.”
Clearly, I still didn’t get it. “Okay, fine,” I conceded. “So how do I know if Dominico likes me?” My chest squeezed at the thought. Stupid emotions. I stuffed them down deep and frowned at my reflection in the mirror.
“Easy. I’m sticking around until he picks you up,” she said, drifting to my bedroom window which faced the street. “I’ll watch you two interact and let you know. Now… what do you think he’s like in bed?”
She could be so ridiculous sometimes. Here I was, trying to get ready for the night my boss had been freaking out about since he hired me—the night of the super important party—and my best friend wanted me to fantasize about going at it with a guy who’d taken me out for a drink and basically ignored me since. Not like I hadn’t imagined kissing his sexy lips and running my hands down his firm body, but sex? My cheeks warmed just thinking about it.
“He’s just being nice. That’s it.”
She sighed. “I wish you’d embellish a little. You know my love life is DOA, and I’m trying to live vicariously through you. Give me something.”
“Dead on arrival?” I asked. “What happened to Danny?”
Adona went through two things faster than anyone I’d ever known: shoes (currently adorning her feet were the new stars and stripes Keds) and guys (her latest conquest being a football player from UNLV named Danny).
“Oh he was pretty,” she sighed. “But I got tired of having to compete with the mirror for his attention.”
I giggled. “You’re awful.”
“I’m serious! You’ve never tried to have a conversation with him. If there’s a reflective surface nearby, forget about it. He’s checking his hair and his teeth and not paying attention to anything I say. Why can’t I find a rich hottie who dotes on me like a queen? Then I can drop college and parade around in my bikini twenty-four-seven, providing him with eye candy like my stepmom does for my dad. Is that too much to ask? Speaking of which… hello, hot stuff. Please tell me this hunk in a three-piece-suit is not your boy toy.”
I looked over her shoulder to see a dark-haired guy getting out of a blue BMW. Too short to be Dominico, but I recognized him immediately. “Nope. That’s Mario. He was one of the guys who interviewed me, but I haven’t seen him since. Wonder why he’s here.”
“Who cares?” Adona headed for the mirror above my dresser, pulling her sweater off her shoulder and wiping away makeup smudges under her eyes. “More importantly, is he single?”
My doorbell rang and Adona and I hurried to answer it. She beat me to the handle and flung it open before leaning against the door frame.
“Hello,” she said, her voice breathy from sprinting.
“Hi.” His brow furrowed, and his gaze went over her shoulder to find me. “Hey, Annetta. Dom’s busy with the party and couldn’t get away to pick you up this morning, so he asked me to.”
Adona’s gaze pleaded with me to make introductions, so I did. Mario shook her hand, and the smile she gave him was suggestive and a little frightening. Based on his amused smirk, I don’t think he minded, though. Where Dominico was dark and mysterious, Mario had a cute and charming Peter Pan look about him.
“Very nice to meet you,” Adona said. Then to me she added, “And make sure you take those damn pills.”
She slipped Mario a piece of paper that I’m pretty sure had her phone number on it before he and I climbed into his Bimmer and motored off.
“Sorry about that,” I said.
He chuckled. “No problem. She seems… fun.”
Worried he’d say something like crazy or horny, I was relieved he’d settled on fun, and nodded in agreement. “Yep. Never a dull moment around that one.”
His grin only widened. “I could work with that.”
Thankfully Mario didn’t expand on how, but I had a sneaking suspicion he’d be giving Adona a call. We spent the rest of the drive chatting about the restaurant, and by the time he parked I felt like I’d made a new friend. I thanked him for the ride and slipped in through the back entrance.
