Meet Cute Club (Sweet Rose Book 1)
Page 17
Midnight approached like a speeding bullet, and before Mateo knew it, he and the girl who’d later introduced herself as Jennie were watching the clock next to Valerie and the others. They all joined in on the countdown, cheering and kissing when it finally hit midnight. Jennie was chaste, placing a quick peck on Mateo’s lips that left him grinning like a fool.
“Happy New Year!” Valerie said, hugging Mateo from behind. He laughed and leaned back against her, his head spinning and his smile never once shrinking.
That following morning, Mateo wanted to die. The faint smell of marijuana hung in the air, and his stomach gurgled. He wasn’t sure if it was because of nausea or hunger. Slowly, he pushed himself up from the pile of pillows under his head and looked around. He and a few other people had made little mats with blankets in the den. On the TV, Bob Ross stared back at him, paused mid-sentence. It all came back to him.
After partying a little more, Mateo and the others who were spending the night had retired to the den to smoke and watch a true artist go to work. As much as people made him into a joke, Mateo had a special kind of love and respect for Bob. Watching The Joy of Painting had been his and Angel’s thing when they were growing up, and he usually ended up getting teary-eyed thinking about that memory. Bob had inspired him to start creating art of his own, and ever since Angel bought him his first canvas, Mateo never stopped painting.
At that moment, Mateo was ready to paint the floor with last night’s drinks. He eased himself off the couch and stretched, looking for his phone once his muscles were loosened up. Panic began to spark in him when he couldn’t find it. Had someone stolen it? Mateo stepped over the unconscious bodies in the den, laser-focused on finding his cellphone. Eddie’s house was a mess after the party the night before, dented plastic cups littering the carpet and confetti decorating every surface in the living room. Mateo was sure he’d walked onto the set of a music video.
When he couldn’t find his phone in the living room, he got even more worried. He practically ran to the kitchen where Valerie sat at the bar. In her hands was his most prized possession. Relief flooded his system, cut immediately short when he realized she’d gotten past the password.
“Um, what are you doing?” he asked.
Valerie jumped in surprise and spun around. “Caught in the act,” she laughed guiltily.
Mateo approached her, looking over her shoulder to get a better view of the screen. “What’s that?”
She gave a tiny, coy smile and said, “SweetDates.”
“What?”
“It’s a dating site,” she explained. “But it’s better than normal dating sites. Instead of just looking for boyfriends, it’s all about sugar daddies.”
Mateo blinked in surprise. “What the hell would I want one of those for?”
“Because, Matty, you need some money! Listen, I’ve been on this app for a few months now and guys will literally send me two hundred dollars for pictures of my feet. I had a daddy pay for my trip to Belize last year.”
Mateo had always heard stories about girls that used websites like SweetDates, but he’d never expected Valerie to be on them. Her real dad made plenty of money to take care of her with.
“Don’t be mad, but I signed you up.”
“You what?”
“I know things are tough for you right now, and I know how you are about your friends helping. This is my way of helping without actually giving you anything. I didn’t use any of your real information, just a nickname, a few pictures, and a short bio.”
Mateo snatched his phone from her hands and began looking everything over. To Valerie’s credit, she’d picked out all of his best selfies, and the biography section she’d put together read like something he’d actually write for himself.
“Val, this is…”
“I know,” she said, holding her hand up, “But please just give it a week for me. If you don’t find some guy you want to talk to, you can delete it and yell at me for signing you up for something so stupid.”
Mateo wanted to delete it immediately, but he’d be lying if he said the idea wasn’t tempting. He hadn’t the slightest idea what being on a sugar daddy website was like, but if Valerie said it was easy and he could make quick money, he might have to give it a try. The bills were piling up relentlessly, and if he didn’t find a way to earn a buck soon, he wasn’t sure what he’d do.
Reluctantly, Mateo looked over the profile again, shaking his head at the name. “BobRoss,” he said aloud.
Valerie grinned. “It’s great, huh?”
“Maybe it’ll lead to a happy little accident.”
“That’s the spirit!” she exclaimed. “So, you’ll keep it installed on your phone for a week?”
Mateo sighed dramatically. “I guess.”
Valerie practically jumped for joy, pulling him into a one-armed hug. “Perfect.”
“But,” Mateo said, “You have to cook me breakfast. I need to get food in me if I’m going to use this stupid app.”
Without another word, Valerie made her way to the fridge and began pulling out all kinds of ingredients. Mateo took a seat at the bar and shook his head again. He’d have never ended up trying something like this on his own, but maybe it was good that Valerie had taken the initiative. It was the new year, after all. Why not try something completely new?
Purchase your copy here!
About the author
Jack Harbon is your typical, eccentric twenty-something writing stories much more interesting than his real life. If he's not writing, he's either reading domestic thrillers about women in peril, watching trashy reality TV shows, or playing The Sims.