Page 24 of The Final Draft

JB: What are your thoughts on love at first sight?

PRISCILLA: Instalove? Not the biggest fan. Why?

JB: Do you think it’s real, or something that only happens in romance novels?

PRISCILLA: Are you talking about love or lust? Two different L words.

JB: True. Attraction is part of it. Can it be both?

Her responses have been quick, but now there’s a pause and the silence is deafening. It’s driving me nuts. Maybe she’s thinking about a response. Or she had to answer the door. The waiting is killing me. I get so worked up wondering whathappened to her, I imagine all sorts of crazy stuff. Almost twenty minutes later, she responds.

PRISCILLA: I think men are more visual than women. Not to say we don’t appreciate a hot guy. Men confuse attraction for love. At least at first. That’s why so many romance novels are slow burn, and so many women hate the instalove trope. Convince me I’m wrong.

Is that what it is? Is that what I’m feeling? Sure, I’m in lust with Harper. My god, she’s beautiful. Captivating. Funny. Sweet. Confident. Bendy. But I want more than a roll in the sheets. Yes, I want that too. I want, well, more.

JB: Can’t it be both? I’ve met a woman that’s making it very hard to concentrate on anything because I’m thinking about her all the time.

PRISCILLA: But will she still consume your thoughts once you sleep with her?

Well, that certainly gives me something to consider. If I fuck her, will my attraction fade because the itch was scratched? And if that happens, how will it impact her relationship with Ashleigh or Chance and Lawson’s? This is unfamiliar territory for me and I’m venturing into the great unknown. I’m all confused and doubting myself.

JB: I don’t think so, but there’s only one way to find out.

PRISCILLA: Ugh. You’re such a guy. All about the chase.

JB: I’m not.

PRISCILLA: Because you never have to chase?

Damn. She’s got me there. Not to sound like a douche, but I rarely have to chase. I’m the one turning them down. And when I ask someone out, they say yes. Quickly. Unlike Harper.

JB: Okay. I get it. Gavin’s gonna have to work for Charlotte’s affection. Let’s do this.

CHAPTER

FIFTEEN

HARPER

“That yoga class kicked my ass,” Harvard declares as we return to the apartment. I needed it to clear my head after that chat with JB this morning. I convinced Zac and his hungover friends to go with me. I’m better now. Balanced. They’re a little better too.

“Our trainers practically did backflips when I told them I’ve done a few classes. They’re ready to sign you up as a life coach, CJ,” Zac adds. He gives my head a knuckle rub and goes into the kitchen to make smoothies.

“I’m not sure what kind of life coach I am, but I’m glad it’s helpful.” Zac seems lighter after our session. The hangover is a thing of the past. I yell over the sound of the blender. “And don’t think I didn’t see you get that girl’s number,” I tease.

“There’s something about those yoga pants that just, yeah. But she seems smart, too.” Zac shrugs. For him, getting a woman’s number comes natural. Like playing hockey. It’s a thing.

“And how, pray tell, did you assess her intelligence in a yoga class?” Jetsy asks.

I give him a low-five because I was thinking the same thing. Jetsy is freaking adorable. I’d like to see him find a nice girl.

“She goes to Columbia.”

“And Henry went to Yale,” Mac adds, and they all crack up. “Doesn’t mean he’s smart.”

“True,” Zac says.

“Who’s Henry?” I ask. I’m so confused.

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