Huxley:You call me by my name.
Lottie:Really? Because I think I call you “oh God” more often than not.
Kelsey:And this is precisely why I haven’t had you on the show. This was a bad idea.
Lottie:No, it wasn’t. We’re in love. We’re getting married. Don’t turn off the chat. Kelsey, don’t turn it—
* * *
“Are you almost ready?”JP calls out from the entryway.
“Yes,” I yell. “Sheesh, give a girl a second.”
“You’ve had multiple seconds.”
“I got home like a minute ago.”
“Try ten minutes. You just had to change. What are you doing in there?”
“Putting on deodorant.” I swipe my armpits one more time, cap the deodorant, then grab my purse and head to the entryway. “God, do you want me to smell?” I ask just as I look up to find JP posed against the front door.
Holy... moly.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the man look this casual, but it’s doing all sorts of bubbly, warm things inside my stomach. Decked out in worn and torn jeans, a black shirt, and a hooded, black leather jacket, he’s oozing with sex appeal. He tops off the look with a backwards hat, and I feel my insides quake. Not to mention the thick hair peppered on his jawline or the deep color of his lashes making his eyes seem impossibly greener.
“What?” he asks when he catches me staring.
“Uh... sorry, just don’t think I’ve ever seen you this casual before.”
He glances down at his outfit and then back at me. “Did you expect me to dress up for you? This isn’t a date.”
Well aware this isn’t a date.
“I know that,” I snap at him and put my purse over my shoulder. “But pardon me if I’m a little stunned to see you in a hat. Didn’t know you owned one.”
“I’m pretty sure every male owns a baseball hat.”
“Well, it looks odd on you.” It doesn’t, it looks really good, but there’s no way I’m going to say that.
“Well, jeans look fucking weird on you,” he shoots back.
“Really?” I ask in an insecure voice.
He rolls his eyes. “No, but see how it’s unkind to say people look weird? A compliment would’ve been good.”
“You want me to compliment you? When this isn’t a date? I thought this was a short-term companionship. If that’s the case, I tease my friends, and therefore, I’ll say you look weird in a hat because I’m so used to Mr. Businessman. But if you truly need to know, the backwards hat suits you.”
“I want to say there’s a compliment in there, so I’ll take it.”
He starts to walk away, but I hold out my arms and ask, “Care to toss a compliment my way?”
His eyes roam over my simple jeans and off-the-shoulder sweater before he says, “I can smell your deodorant, and it doesn’t smell like BO. Good job.”
I feel my face fall flat. “That’s your compliment?”
He opens the front door for me and asks, “Have a problem with that?”
“It’s not even a compliment, it’s just pointing out the obvious.” It’s about as good as being told the color of my dress is nice. OrI’ve seen better.
