“What about me?”
“Were you a bit of a playboy too?” she asks casually, without a hint of judgement, a knowing smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.
“In my late teens, early twenties,” I admit, honestly. “When all I cared about was making money and having fun.” I give her a quick wink. “And you?”
Her cheeks go rosy, her expression almost shy by the way she bites her bottom lip.
The elevator doors open once more and we walk towards apartment thirty-six at the end of the corridor.
“I’ve only ever been with one man,” she finally says.
I come to an abrupt stop, the admission striking me by complete surprise.
She halts beside me, the crease between her brows deepening as confusion settles in.
“What?” she says curiously.
“You’ve only been with Adrian?”
She nods. “Yeah. We were high school sweethearts. He broke up with me after graduation, then we got back together when I was halfway through my uni course. He dated other women, of course, during our break, but I just focused mostly on my studies.”
“Man, Adrian is quite literally the most stupid man in the world.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “It is what it is.”
That’s the last thing she says on the subject before Chris’s door swings open and the devil himself appears, his long dirty blonde hair up in a man bun, wearing nothing but a pair of ripped jeans.
Hope’s gaze drops instantly to his bare torso, her eyes widening, and I just want scream at him to put a fucking shirt on.
“I thought I heard someone talking outside. What the hell are you guys doing just standing out there? Get in here you two!” Chris hollers, waving for us to come in.
Hope chuckles under her breath, and I shake my head.
We follow Chris inside, and the moment we step through the door, I immediately take in the crowded room. At least twenty or so people are scattered across every corner, a ’90s R&B track pulsing through the air.
From some of the familiar faces that turn our way, I recognise them instantly as Jason’s employees, while the others seem to be Gemma’s colleagues from the recruitment agency she works at.
“Kaden!” Gemma calls from across the living room, looking radiant as ever in a tight yellow dress that reminds me of sunshine, her golden hair and bright blue eyes glowing. She launches herself at me, and I catch her just in time before we end up hitting the floor.
“I’m so glad you guys could make it,” she says as she turns towards Hope.
“Thank you for having me,” Hope murmurs, her voice soft but carrying over the loud beat of the music. “You have a beautiful home.”
Gemma rests her hands on Hope’s shoulders, smiling broadly. “Well, aren’t you a sight to behold?” she gushes, as her eyes rake over her body. “Has anyone ever told you how stunning you are?”
Hope’s face flush bright red, clearly not used to being the centre of attention.
“Give the poor woman some space, Gem. You’ll scare her off before she even gets a chance to have some fun.” Jason’s words come as he joins us, appearing right beside me with a beer in hand.
We greet each other with a slightly awkward man-hug, his strength nearly crushing me in the process.
“Jase, Chris, Gemma, this is my friend Hope. Hope, meet the gang.”
“It’s nice to meet you all,” she says sweetly.
All three welcome her with a kiss on the cheek, Gemma going a step further—pulling her into a hug and looping an arm through Hope’s, which she happily accepts.
“Let’s leave the boys to themselves and grab you a drink, yeah?” She doesn’t give Hope a chance to respond, already pulling her through the crowd towards the open kitchen.
