“That’s not helping, Jemma. It’s really not.”
“You don’t want to go on the stakeout with me,” Wyatt surmised, studying me with those coal-black eyes of his.
“That’s not what I said.”
“You claim that you’re not avoiding me, and yet you don’t seem to want anything to do with me.”
“She’s avoiding you,” my friend said.
“Jemma!” I seethed. I flashed my fake smile at Wyatt again. “I’m not avoiding you.”
“Oh, she is.” My traitorous BFF lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “Because of the kiss.”
Wyatt glanced from her to me. “You told me the kiss didn’t make you uncomfortable.”
“That’s not the issue,” Jemma said. “The issue is that the kiss was sizzling.”
“Jemma!” I was seriously considering trading her in for a new BFF. I took her arm and dragged her off to the side. “I was just telling you how I need to not be around Wyatt.”
“But maybe you do,” she countered. “See how you feel after you spend hours with him in his car. He’s bound to have some disgusting habits that will completely turn you off. And then, hey, presto! Your problem is solved!”
I considered that. “You might have a point. Maybe his car is full of fast-food wrappers.”
“And mouse droppings.”
“Ew! I’m not sitting in a car with rodent poop.”
“Okay, no mouse droppings,” Jemma said. “But he’ll probably sit there belching, talking about himself nonstop, chewing gum with smacking, wet mouth noises.”
I shuddered. “I just can’t with wet mouth noises.”
“Exactly.”
She pushed me back toward Wyatt and smiled brightly at him. “Emersyn would like to graciously accept your offer to accompany her on the stakeout in your vehicle.”
Wyatt looked to me. “For real?”
“For real,” I said, hoping I wouldn’t regret it.
Livy reappeared, spinning in circles on her way toward us. “When are we going out for dinner? I’m already hungry.”
“Slight change of plans, sweet pea,” Jemma told her. “It’s just you and me tonight. Do you know what that means?”
“What?” Livy stopped spinning and stood in one spot, swaying slightly.
Jemma waved her hundred-dollar bill in the air. “We get to spend all of this on the two of us.”
“Yes!” Livy danced around with excitement.
“Should we leave now?” Wyatt asked me.
“We can’t,” I said. “We’re not prepared.”
Jemma nudged me with her elbow and whispered in my ear, “Maybe he is.”
“Jemma!” With my cheeks flaming, I made a beeline for the elevator. I hit the button and then whirled around.
Wyatt, midstride, came to a halt.
