I nod, walking her out.
The rain is pouring, so she turns to me. “Do you have an umbrella?”
I shake my head. “Sorry.”
“Shit!” she says, running out. “Okay. Bye. Love you!”“Drive safe!” I call after her and shut my front door before the wind gusts blow in heavy raindrops.
I walk to my bedroom to grab my laptop and craft a more concrete content plan for the week. Once that is handled, I get dressed and head to the gym to walk my ten thousand steps on the treadmill. When I arrive, I spot Marina in the corner chatting with some random guy I’ve never seen before. I walk to my regular treadmill and power it on, looking around at who’s in the gym today. The place is packed for a Saturday. It must be the rain.
While I’m walking, I can’t stop thinking about this weekend. I’m so excited that Alix is on board to bring Dane. I feel a little nervous, so I increase the machine's speed and walk off my jitters.
Dane is hot. He’s difficult, closed-off, and a sarcastic asshole. He’s challenging to access. I could text him and never hear back. The only glimpse of hope I have is that he watches and likes what I post. And call me stupid, but that means something to me. Maybe I shouldn’t get my hopes up, but with Alix’s help, I think I have a chance.
If Alix hooks up with Rocky, then I can bring Dane back to my place… alone.
Shit.
I have to revamp my place before the weekend comes around. If he’s going to be in my space, I want to impress him. While I’m walking, I start searching online for different styles I can lean into. I refuse to be anything less than what I deserve, and I deserve someone like Dane. He’s so beautiful that it hurts. He dates rich girls, so if that’s what I have to pretend to be, that’s what I’ll be.
Once my steps are done, I wipe down the machine and head out. I stop at the exit and watch the rain for a few moments, wondering whether to give it five minutes.
Forget it.
I walk straight into the pouring rain and get drenched by the time I reach my car. Now I’m on my way to Target. I can buy a few décor pieces from there andcondoms.
When I get back to my apartment, the new décor stays in the bags while I cook myself a late lunch and post something new, along with a few stories. It’s a sponsored post, so I have to make sure all my ducks are in a row while I cook my bacon.
I slap together a BLT, approve the post, and then dive into homework due this week.
My life is a routine. Wash, rinse, cycle, repeat. I wouldn’t want it any other way. This is simple. Easy. Predictable.
An email pings through my notifications, and the first thing I notice is the brand’s name. I jump off my bed and click on the notification. I can’t believe this brand is emailing me back on a weekend. My eyes scan the email, and they’re eager to work with me!
I squeal, running in place. This means that I can hire Dylan for a side gig and help him make extra cash he’s always joking about. My terms with the company are that the male model remains faceless, but he’ll wear their product.
I throw on a hoodie and Uggs and head to Dylan’s place without much thought. I’m just excited to tell him we got the job we joked about.
I notice there are a few vehicles parked out front that I haven’t seen before, but I throw my car in park behind his truck and walk to his front door. I knock while opening it.
“Hello?” I say, sticking my head.
Scott is in the kitchen with a girl.
“Hey,” I say, walking in. It’s only drizzling now, so I wipe my feet as I step inside the house and close the door behind me.
Scott glares at me. “Cecily.”I smile at the girl standing next to him. She’s cute.
“Does he know you’re here?” Scott asks.
I shake my head, so he walks down the hall and knocks politely on his bedroom door. “Dylan. Cecily’s here.”
I walk to the hallway, hearing Dylan and a female’s voice inside the bedroom.
I turn to Scott. “Oh. Am I interrupting something?”
Scott shrugs.I hear Dylan whispering, and my heart races when I hear a female’s voice arguing. Shit.
Dylan cracks the door. “Ce?”
