by Hart, Cary
“Thanks, Austin.”
“You know I love you, right?” I say the words I’ve said a few times, but this time, I want them to mean more.
“Yeah, Austin, I love you too.” She leans up and lets her lips linger on the side of my cheek.
“Hmm?” I purse my lips. “I just had one of those déjà vu moments.”
Why must I tempt fate? If she’s supposed to remember that kiss, she would have remembered it. Now, here I am, being a dick because even if she does remember…then what?
She laughs?
Turns me down?
We stop being friends? That’s not going to happen.
“Yeah…” Clover side-eyes me as she yawns, “I’ve had that happen a time or two.” She stands and stretches, her little pink dress riding up almost enough for me to…
Cool it, Austin.
“I’ve missed this.” I wave between the two of us. “What do you think about Friday night—pizza and Netflix?”
Clover’s lips curve into a sleepy smile. “I would like that. It’s a date.” She freezes, and her eyes widen. “I mean…” She yawns once more.
“I think we’re both exhausted.” I wink. “You have the right idea.” I stand and stretch. “Morning will be here before you know it.” I begin to lock up and turn everything off as Clo nods and shuffles to her room. “Clo?”
“Yes, Austin?” She turns around, and the hallway light hits her just right to where her long golden hair hangs around her shoulders like a halo, her innocent face a contrast to the sexy-as-sin dress she’s wearing.
I groan.
“Are you okay?” She takes a step closer.
“Yeah, I’m just checking to see if we’re good? You know, after today.”
“For sure. Friends forever, right?”
Always.
CHAPTER 23
CLOVER
It’s been a few days since my first non-date with Owen, but given the Twitter response and that we enjoyed hanging out together, Owen decided to ask me on another date as soon as he dropped me off from the first one. The Twitterverse went wild since he asked me via Tweet.
Owen Decker @Decker_LIVE
@UnLuckyInLove_13 Date 2? Check Y or N #cloven #unluckyinlove #hotlinehookup #instaconnection #werkurflirt
I didn’t need time to think about it. I instantly responded.
Replying to @Decker_LIVE
Clover Kelly @UnLuckyInLove_13
I thought you were never going to ask…Y #unluckyinlove #cloven #hotlinehookup #whattowear
Owen Decker @Decker_LIVE
@UnLuckyInLove_13 SHE SAID YES! #whew #closecall #unluckyinlove #hotlinehookup #luckyguy #cloven
I did say yes!
Owen was a complete and total surprise. I never thought when Owen barged into Austin’s studio and propositioned me he would actually be the one on the final date, but he is, and I couldn’t be more excited…and nervous.
Replying to @Decker_LIVE
Clover Kelly @UnLuckyInLove_13
Twitterverse…what should I wear? #polltime #unluckyinlove #cloven #hotlinehookup #fashionista
We’ve been going back and forth for the past two days, tweeting, replying, posting pics. And if we weren’t doing that, we were on the phone or texting if he was at work.
Now, it’s date night, and I have no clue what to wear, so I call up my friends for a little group chat.
“Hey, whore!” CJ shouts into the phone.
“Well, not yet,” I tease.
“Yeah! That’s my girl.” She hits the video feature. “Now, about this date you’re going on—”
“That’s why I’m calling,” I interrupt. “I haven’t been this nervous since—”
“You dyed your hair blond?” CJ snickers. “I get it. I would be too. Those chemicals can fry your hair from the inside out.”
I gasp. “CJ! I’m a natural!”
“Interesting. There goes the theory blondes have more fun.” CJ taps her lips as if she’s actually contemplating this statement.
“I think you have single-handedly proven that wrong.”
“True dat.” She twists her lips and nods.
“I tried to call Mal to get her input on a few outfits, but every time I call, she sends me to voicemail.”
CJ looks around what looks like her bedroom. “She called me yesterday.”
“What!” I shout. “I tried to call her yesterday.”
“Um, I think I just got her at the right time.” CJ tries to cover whatever is going on.
“What aren’t you telling me? Is there something going on with Mal I need to know about?”
“No!” CJ blurts out. “I mean, there is, but this is something she has to work through.” CJ gives me a sympathetic look. “I know you feel like you’re out of the loop, but Mal doesn’t want to burden you.”
“Me?” I throw up my hands. “She’s like my sister. I’ll always have time for her.”
“I can tell you she did get that job, but only because Austin fought for her. Owen refused to hire her, even though she was more than qualified.”
“Do you think that’s why she’s not talking to me? Because I’m sort of sleeping with the enemy?” I try to get something from CJ that will help me understand why this is going on.
“Wait—are you saying?” CJ gets a wicked gleam in her eye.
“Oh God no! I mean, I wouldn’t mind it, but no, we aren’t.” I wave my hands in the air. “It’s just a figure of speech.”
“Too bad. Anywho, I don’t think that’s exactly this issue, but when she finally decides to grow some balls, she’ll deal with it and we’ll get our Mal back.”
“Okay. I guess I just have to be good with that.”
“Hey, speaking of the enemy, how’s Austin?”
“He’s not the enemy…anymore. That didn’t even last half the night,” I remind her.
“Have you seen him naked yet?” CJ waggles her brows.
“Wait! What?” I crinkle my face in confusion. “How did we get from worrying about Mal to fantasizing about Austin?”
“So, you admit it.” CJ smirks.
“I should hang up on you.” I hold my finger over the button.
“Nooo!” She waves her hand in front of the phone. “I promise, I’ll be good.”
“Fine. Now help me with what to wear.” I prop the phone up on my nightstand and hold the navy-blue plunging neckline dress in front of the camera.
“I love that one. That is what you should have worn for your non-date with Not Nick.”
“That’s what Austin said. So, how about…?”
“Homie, say what?” CJ jumps in. “Austin agreed?”
“Yeah, but who cares?” I hold up the sexy little black number that dips low in the back. “How about this one?”
“The blue. Always showcase the twins.”
“But does it seem too slutty?” I hold it up and look between my phone and the dress. “Owen’s really nice. I don’t want to seem too eager if you know what I mean.”
I swear, talking to CJ is like riding on a roller coaster with lots of twists and turns. You never know which direction you’re going to go. The only thing you can do is hold on and enjoy the ride.
“Speaking of eager, I need to know—how does he kiss?” CJ sits there holding her phone in one hand while she pretends to make out with her pillow in the other.
“You have issues.” I roll my eyes.
“Well?” CJ tosses the pillow to the side and lies down. “A girl needs to know. Did he use tongue? Is he into biting? Did he go old-school and leave a hickey? Or is he like Jeffery—aka the slobber king?”
“No. No. No! And why in the hell would you compare Owen to Jeffery. That’s ew. Ugh!” I fall back onto my bed. “We haven’t even kissed.”
“Gasp!”
“You do realize when you actually say ‘gasp,’ it’s not the same effect as gasping,” I point out.
“And you realize by nit-picking all my little quirks you are avoiding the question. So, spit it ou
t. Why haven’t you kissed Owen yet?”
“There has only been one date.”
One very fabulous date.
“So?”
“Okay, we almost kissed like three times.”
“Almost kissing is like it was just the tip, so I don’t count it as sex. It’s the tip! It’s sex!” CJ makes a valid point.
“We almost kissed after our first tweet, but Austin called. Then every time we started to get close, Austin texted. When he dropped me off, I thought it would finally happen but Austin came popping out and Kramer attacked Owen.”
“What?” CJ’s eyes go wide, and her mouth falls open.
“Yeah, Kramer kind of told Owen he had a little dick and then preceding to peck at said dick.”
“The cockblockers!” She holds up her fist and shakes it. “Damn them.”
I can’t help but shake my head.
“Well, I guess I better get going. I have to reply to a few emails since it’s just me and my secretary at the office this week. Antonette won a trip to Bora Bora.”
“Lucky bitch.”
“Yeah, she wasn’t going to go because it was short notice, but I told her if she didn’t, she was fired.”
“Sweet. I never get lucky.”
“Neither do I,” I mumble.
“Now, that’s on you.” CJ gives me one of her I told you what you got to do, but you don’t listen to me looks.
“Anyway,” I snort a laugh, “I have to get going.”
“This time, call me with all the deets!” CJ warns.
“All right. All right,” I agree.
CHAPTER 24
AUSTIN
“Hey, Clo…” I holler out. “I’m home.” I throw my keys on the table and head to the kitchen to pour myself a drink.
“Hey!” She peeks her head out. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Okay,” I call back and head to the kitchen.
After the day I had, I need something to turn down the volume on my thoughts, and this bottle of whiskey I’ve been nursing all week better do the fucking trick.
Each day since I woke up with a raging hard-on thanks to Clover, I’ve had this voice inside my head that grows louder. And today, it’s fucking screaming.
“So, what do you think?”
“Holy shit!” I spin around.
One minute, she’s in her room, and the next, she’s standing in front of me looking absolutely gorgeous.
“That bad, huh?” Clover tucks her chin.
One single comment is all it took to replace her confidence with lingering doubt.
I toss down the warm honey liquid, unsure if the burn is from the whiskey or the heat of her being mere inches away.
Clover has this kind of understated beauty. Maybe it’s because she is completely unaware of how beautiful she really is. But that’s Clover. She’s never thought she’s good enough. I’m sure that’s part of the reason she created that stupid binder.
Clover wasn’t the girl she thought she needed to be, so she created this perfect path, this plan to become that person—to become who she needed to be, to get what she thought she wanted.
“I mean, I guess I could try on something else.” Clover picks up the short hem of her navy-blue dress, and just as quickly, lets it fall from her fingertips.
Dammit.
I’m the reason her doubt is there. Me.
“Why?” I pour myself another double and tilt the glass to my lips, letting the amber liquid spill down my throat.
“I-I don’t know? I guess I was expecting a little more of a reaction.” There is a shyness to her voice and hesitation in her movements. “I mean, was ‘holy shit’ short for ‘damn, she’s fine’ or ‘that dress needs to go’?”
Clover is gorgeous enough to grace any magazine cover, but the girl has no clue. Hell, she’s better than those two-dimensional photoshopped models. Her imperfections are what make her perfect.
Snap out of it.
I can’t keep this up. I’m standing here fighting with the voices screaming in my head instead of easing my friend’s mind.
“You know what I think.” I take a step forward and drain the rest of the liquid from the glass before I set it down. “I’d do you.” I test the waters, letting my lips curl up in a devilish smirk.
Her head snaps up, and we stand there face-to-face until her laugh breaks the awkward silence. Of course, Clover Kelly didn’t take me seriously.
“You’re crazy, Austin Montgomery.” This time, her smile reaches her eyes. “For a second, I thought you were serious.” She waggles her finger at me. “Can you imagine? Awkward!” She says the last work in a singsong voice.
“Yeah, awkward.”
Not really.
“So, do you think Owen will like this?” She twirls, and the bottom of her dress flies up just enough for me to get a glimpse of the matching cheeky panties.
Kill me now.
“Oh? Seeing Owen tonight?” I play dumb.
“I thought I told you?” She stands there, wracking her brain.
I’m sure she did, but if she didn’t, Twitter did. I was front and center watching the shit-storm go down as I watched our numbers climb.
I’m sure Owen is loving this.
“Owen is a guy, so I’m sure this,” I wave my hand in front of her, “will work just fine.”
“Thank God!” She reaches for her cell. “Because I’m hoping tonight I’ll get a little…you know.”
Of course, she is. This is why she agreed to this dating shit in the first place.
“So, where are you going?” I ask the question I already know the answer to. Owen asked which restaurants Clover liked, and I told him her absolute favorite where I know she won’t be able to help but gorge herself and be too miserable to do anything but talk or go home—hopefully, the latter.
“Well, he offered to take me to STK, and you know how I love that place.” Clover rubs her stomach and makes a perfect O face that would nicely wrap around my di— “But we aren’t going there,” Clover thankfully continues, and my very naughty thought does not.
“Really?”
This is news to me.
“Yeah. Even though I really want to go there, because you know how I can’t help myself, I love everything, I suggested maybe the Sugar Factory.”
“That’s our place,” I mumble, and she shoots me a look. “I mean, we’ve been there a few times.”
“I know. It’s perfect. The atmosphere, the food—we can share dinner and dessert and still have room in case…”
“In case what?” I cock my head, waiting for her to say it.
“You know…” She waggles her brows.
“If you can’t say it, you shouldn’t do it.” I wink and move past her. Suddenly, my kitchen seems way too small for us both.
“Fine. In case we kiss.” She smiles, and I stop in place and spin around.
“Kiss?”
“Yeah.”
“Like, your lips?” I stand there, not understanding. I figured they had already…
Thank God.
“Jeez, Austin.” Clover walks past me and pats my shoulder. “When’s the last time you got laid?”
Before you moved in.
She chuckles. “Don’t worry, I hear it’s like riding a bike.”
They haven’t kissed?
I’m not sure what comes over me, but the need to tie her to a chair and hang a sign that says mine is strong.
“Don’t wait up!” she hollers.
Her hand is on the knob.
Door open.
One foot out the door.
“Son of a bitch.” I fall to the floor, grabbing my ankle. “Fuck me.”
“Austin, what’s wrong?” Clover comes rushing to my side and falls to her knees. “Are you okay?”
“My ankle.” I roll around dramatically on the floor. A little too much, I know, but I haven’t faked an injury since freshman year when I was trying to get out of football practice to feel up Christina Manis in the janitor’s closet. Best.
Decision. Ever.
So is this, I think.
“Come on. Let’s get you to the couch and get some ice on it.” Clover tugs on my arm and manages to get me up.
I feel bad. I know moving me is no easy feat—especially since I have a good seventy pounds on her.
“Sit down,” she demands.
“Son of a bitch.” I wince.
I’m getting good at this.
“Lie down.” She tucks a pillow behind my head and grabs a couple more to prop under my ankle. “We probably should keep it elevated.”
“Thanks, Clo.” I nod toward the clock on the wall. “You need to go.”
“No way.” She rushes to the kitchen. “First, we get you settled, then we can worry about my date.”
Not happening, Clo.
I’m all in and pretty sure I’ll win the best actor award after this performance.
“You’re out of baggies.” Clover comes back with a bag of frozen corn and a bottle of ibuprofen. “But this should work.” She rolls down my sock and examines it before she puts the ice on.
“Thank you.” I give her my best I appreciate this, but I’m in a shit ton of pain smile.
I’m so good.
“It doesn’t look swollen, but it’s already bruising.” Clover lays a small towel over my ankle, then the corn over that. “How many?” She opens the pill bottle and shakes out a couple.
“That will work.” I swallow the pills and chase them with water.
“Clover, your date,” I remind her. After all, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?
“I texted him when I was in the kitchen and told him I couldn’t make it.” Her smile is gone, but is it because of not going on the date or because I broke my ankle? Allegedly.
“No.” I reach for her hand. “I’ll be fine. I have everything I need here.”
“Are you sure?”
What? No!
This is where I should tell her I’m not fine, but I gamble. It’s like inviting your boss over for dinner knowing he’s always going to say no, but each time you ask, there’s that slight chance he will say yes.
Please let this work.
“Of course.” I wince. You know—for the role.