“Oh, Bean, there you are! What took you so long? I’ve just been sitting here waiting patiently for you.”
“Why do I put up with you?” Lizzie asks, the phone now basically looking up her nose.
Amelia giggles in response. “Even I don’t know anymore. I’m annoying as fuck.”
Chuckling, I look away from the TV, and my gaze crashes into hers across the couch from me. For just a moment, I see a corner of her mouth raise into a smirk, but then she narrows her eyes and huffs before turning her head.
God, I love my fucking sassy brat. And sheismine.
I’ll fix us, I promise her in my head.
Chapter 22
I'll take 'Virginities' for $500
Amelia
Monday morning, I’m back in the studio. After spending the whole day around Alex, sleep was even more fleeting than it’s been since I ditched out of New York, drunk off my ass. I tossed and turned for hours, fighting both tears and arousal at the same time.
I play some faster songs than yesterday, trying to put myself in a good mood because I don’t want to ruin this for Bean. My alarm goes off sooner than expected, and I lock up the studio before walking next door for coffee and pastries. Ignoring the fritters, I order almond croissants. My fingers itch, remembering the silly texts I sent Alex from the coffee shop by the office. I haven’t looked at them since I left. Haven’t read what he sent between me running out of the office and when I blocked his number. But I want to. Oh god, do I want to.
“What are you up to today?” Gloria asks as she gets our drinks ready.
“Going up the mountain.”
Gloria cringes. “In August?”
“Yeah. Bean’s on a crusade. Yesterday was the falls.”
“I saw. Is she trying to kill you?”
I laugh. “Maybe.”
“You want an extra shot in yours?”
“Might as well.”
“Why didn’t you tell me Lizzie’s dad is a stone-cold fox, bythe way? Those pictures she posted? Damn, that man is fine! I’d like to give him a cruller, if you know what I mean.” She winks at me. “Lizzie better bring that hunk of sexy in to meet me before the wedding, or I might forget how to make coffees.”
I groan inwardly and sigh outwardly. She’s right. Alex is hot. And I can’t bring myself to play the ‘he’s my best friend’s dad, so I don’t think of him that way’ card today. The look Gloria gives me says she knows something’s up, but she doesn’t know what.
“Should I tell Bean you have the hots for her dad?” I ask her.
“I wouldn’t be mad if you did.” She shrugs and hands me the last drink. “See you tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
After loading the drinks and pastries in my car, I drive home, and for the second day in a row, I meet with my best friend and her dad in my driveway.
“Get in, get in, get in, get in, GET IN!” Bean hisses at me through Alex’s open passenger-side window as soon as I pull up. So, because I can’t help myself, I ignore her and take a sip of my coffee. “Minnie! Get. In. The. Car.”
I look over at her, roll the rest of the windows down, and slowly turn my radio up.
“I swear to Lucifer, I will murder you while—” The music drowns the rest of her words out.
I point to my ear and shake my head, then mouth, “What?” at her.
“You suck.” She over-pronounces the words so I can read her lips, and then she glares and flips me off. Alex smirks. I look away, and movement next door catches my eye. Tiffany sticks her head out of her door, looking for the source of the noise. Before she swings her head my way, I duck down and turn the nob, silencing the radio. Without sitting back up, Iclose the windows and cut the engine. I open my door and slide out, staying low, and peek over the hood of the car. Tiffany’s door is just swinging closed, so I quickly reach in for the coffees and hand the tray through the open window into Alex’s hands. Then I reach back in for the bag of croissants and my purse, slam my door shut, and throw myself into Bean’s back seat while making sure not to land on the pastries.
