“You don’t have much time left to find something.”
“I have plenty of time. I don’t need to be out for another two and a half months.”
“Regardless, Jace told me this morning that Tanner’s still looking for a roommate.”
“He should ask the blonde I saw him go home with on Friday night.” I laugh.
“Blonde?”
“Yeah, I walked out of the bathroom and he was attached to this blonde girl like some sort of mouth leech.” I shudder at the memory.
“I was at their apartment Friday, and there was no blonde.”
There was no blonde?
“Maybe they went back to her place. I mean, I saw him kissing the blonde. No way he didn’t hook up with her.”
“You know when I got out of the bath, him and Jace were talking about something, and Tanner said it was work, but I thought I overheard him say something about a girl before I walked out. Maybe that’s who he was talking about.”
“Did Jacks say anything?”
Why do I care?
“We didn’t really do much talking that night.” She giggles. “And then by Saturday morning I forgot about it.”
“Lacey, are we doing this or not?” Ethel shouts across the room.
“Coming,” Lacey chimes. “We’ll talk more later, and I’ll see what Jace knows. Promise me you’ll consider what I said about the roommate thing.” She squeezes my arm and then moves away toward Ms. Ethel.
Consider living with him?Not a chance in Hell.
CHAPTER 4: PEPPER AND SOAP
TANNER
Idecided to park my car a few blocks from work because I figured the extra five minute walk in the mid-August humidity was worth five less minutes in the office. Despite the temperature, the sun is shining, and it seemed like a crime to waste such a beautiful day in the confines of my stuffy office.
Peachtree Street is crowded with people walking to and from the surrounding office buildings and restaurants. I make my way down the street, doing my best to dodge people heading in the opposite direction. The sidewalk narrows, and I try to move around a puddle of standing liquid. It’s probably water, but the air smells like hot trash, and I’ve lived here long enough to know that whatever it is, I don’t want it on my brand new white sneakers. Just as I’m about to step around it, someone on my left runs into me, throwing me off my balance and causing me to put my right foot smack in the middle of the puddle.
“Fuck,” I say under my breath, trying to shake off the brown liquid that now covers not only my shoe but the bottom of my jeans too. Frustrated, I look up to see who is responsible. A woman with long red hair and freckled skin isrunning a few feet ahead of me. She’s dressed in a navy sports bra, matching leggings, and headphones. She looks just like Wren Dawson, and dammit, I’m doing it again.
She consumed my thoughts and my dreams all weekend, and despite my conversation with Jacks and my most valiant effort, I can’t get her out of my head.
“Hey!” I yell, trying to get her attention, but she doesn’t turn around. I break out into a jog, catching up to her just as the crosswalk sign turns red and she stops.
“Hey, Wren,” I try again, this time touching her shoulder to get her attention.
The woman turns to face me, and it’s definitely not her.Shit.
She removes her headphones and looks me up and down, focusing on my shoe and wet pants for a second, before looking me in the eye.
“Can I help you?” she asks, confused.
“Oh, no, sorry. I thought you were someone else. My bad. Enjoy your run,” I say awkwardly.
She looks for oncoming traffic and then crosses the street. I continue my walk to the office, disappointment blooming in my chest.
Of course that wasn’t her. It’s Monday, and she has a job. I need to pull myself together.If I’m lucky, she’ll be out with all of us on Friday, and I can maybe try to get on her good side then.
