Page 31 of The Longest Wait

“Wait.” There was an apprehensive look on Lucy’s face as shetouched Sofia’s hand. “Please don’t tell me you and Alex were ableto get along because you two slept together. Please, please, please…don’t tell me that was what happened.”

Yikes, would it be that awful?

Lucy was close to having a conniption at the thought. Shewasn’t going to tell her, or anybody, about what happened withAlex because it was a one-time deal. Lucy’s repulsed action onlysolidified her decision to not take it any further with him.

“Calm down.” Lying wasn’t something she did often, and whenit came to one of her best friends, she didn’t want to start the habit.This was a desperate moment though. “I ended up having subparsex with an average person.”

Lucy’s phone dinged. She read it and suspiciously returned herattention to Sofia. “That’s odd. Alex said the same thing.”

What was worse, Alex calling sex with her subpar or him sayingshe was average?

She wasn’t letting this one slide. It wasn’t like she could callhim on his shit in front of Lucy. She needed to leave so she couldgo full on what the hell on him in private. Last night was anythingbut subpar.

“Guess it was the vibe last night. I have to run. I have morework to do.” She hugged her friend goodbye. “Let’s plan a catchup soon.”

She hightailed it out of there and went home. It wasn’t a lie,she did have more work to do. This situation with Alex she alsoconsidered work, so she texted him while waiting for her computerto boot.

“We need to have a game plan of what we tell Lucy. You and I saidthe same thing about last night. Also—should I be offended? I don’ttake well to being called subpar or average.”

A few minutes later, her phone rang.

“Should I be offended? I was only telling her something quickso she wouldn’t keep badgering me about what I did after the bar.”Alex didn’t bother saying hello.

She smiled at their similarity. “Same for me. We should’vefigured out what to say. She found it hard to believe we were ableto hang out without one of us calling the police.”

“Want to meet me for dinner?”

“Like a date?”

Her heart raced. How did all of this happen in twentyfour hours?

“Neither one of us date.” He calmed her worry down. “This isa meal to figure out a game plan in front of our friends. There isno way I’m going back to the way things were between us, and ifwe don’t have something to say to our friends, they will questionour every move. You think they would be thrilled we aren’t fighting anymore.”

“We aren’t sleeping together again.”

“Meet me at Daltons at six.” Alex didn’t respond about her nosex remark.

“No way. Lucy said her and Alex were going to dinner, and Iknow that is their go-to spot.”

“Come to my place then.”

Erin Lynne

She wasn’t going back to his apartment. Her stance on no moresex would fly out the door, like she imagined her clothes would.

“Meet me at Oloroso. It’s a Spanish tapas bar.”

She swore she heard him smile over the phone. “You gettingsentimental over my favorite country?”

“Shut up. I need a few hours, see you there at seven.”

She disconnected and distracted herself with cleaning up herapartment. Ignoring the giddiness of seeing Alex was hard to do.

Chapter 10

LucY and Jack’s Wedding

SOFIA TAILED ALEX down the hallway to the beach chairs further away from the reception. This was smart. If their history wasany indictor, screaming was probably going to be involved with theirconversation. Especially if they were bringing up the past. Who was shekidding? It wasn’t just their past, even now they were at each other’sthroats. If one of them had an opinion, it was instinctive the other onewould be against it.