“He’s the first good guy I’ve dated in like . . . forever. Ishouldbe grateful for that. Ishouldwant to strip him down and ride his face at all hours of the day.”
“But you don’t.” It wasn’t a question.
She circled her arms around her knees, drawing them back toward her chest. “Maybe there’s something wrong with me.”
My heart sank. In this moment, she didn’t look like my badass rock star of a friend, but rather a lost, little girl searching for her place in the world. Tattoos and piercings, and in my case, a Santa Claus costume, couldn’t protect you from those kinds of thoughts.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “Nothing is wrong with you. No more than the rest of us, at least.”
She shoved me away with a half laugh, half groan.
“Okay, enough of this personal feelings shit. Tell me more about the calendar project for your girlfriend.”
“You know perfectly well she’s not my girlfriend.”
“Yet.”
“We’re supposed to meet up later tonight to discuss details—locations, times, dates.”
“Ah! You said dates.” I rolled my eyes. “Love is in the air.”
“How can you tell from this high up?”
It really was one hell of a view, even from the gravel path. There were a lot of stereotypes about Los Angeles—many of which were, unfortunately, true—but most people didn’t realize just how beautiful the city was, especially from above. From here, the L.A. skyline looked like a series of building blocks, surrounded on either side by a blanket of homes and palm trees.
“Have you asked her out yet?”
“No.” I shot her a cheeky grin. “Maybe there’s something wrong with me, too.”
“Well, at least you admit it.”
“Shut up,” I told her before devolving into laughter again. Every introvert had at least one emotional support extrovert in their lives, and Sloane was mine. We had a lot more in common than I thought either of us wanted to admit, too.
“Everything okay over there?”
Our heads pivoted toward the shirtless man waiting at the top of the path.Damn, Laric could get it.If it didn’t work out between him and Sloane, I wouldn’t mind giving him a go. On second thought, I would rather be alone for the rest of my life than date a hiker. Lumberjack, fine—I looked great in flannel—but someone who climbed hills for fun? Absolutely not.
“Uh, yeah,” Sloane said around a smile. “We were just taking in the spectacular view from down here.”
“It’s a little bit better at the top of the hill.” When neither of us moved, he shuffled over to Sloane’s side. “On second thought,” he said, planting himself on the ground beside her. “I’ve never seen it from down here, so what do I know?”
Hmm, maybe there was hope for Laric after all.
“Wow, you were right.” He cuddled closer to Sloane, peppering the top of her sweaty head with kisses. “That is an incredible view.”
He wasn’t talking about the skyline.
It took me twice as long as usual to walk from the Lyft to my front door. The stiffness had already begun to settle into my thighs. So much for getting some work done tonight. I had a blind date in the bathtub with Dr. Teal.
The petite blonde balancing on a ladder outside my fenced-off patio took me by surprise. “What the hell are you doing?”
Nellie barely spared a look over her shoulder. “Decorating your house.”
“I told you—”
“That you decorate for you and that you don’t see your outdoor lights, I know.”
My eyes homed in on the bare strip of skin above her leggings when she stretched an inch or two higher, reaching for the edge of my roof. The sun had set almost an hour ago, and yet here she was, stringing up blue, green, and purple bulbs across the eave.
