Page 24 of Love, Luck & Clusterf*ck

“Who?”

“Your boyfriend.”

Oh right.Boyfriend.

“Andre. Dre. But I’m not sure if I’d use that word to describe him.”

“Fuck buddy?” Adam waggled his eyebrows.

“No, he’s more than that. So I guess boyfriend it is.” I frowned. That just sounded… off. I had to start getting used to it, though.

Adam and Kate exchanged glances, then started laughing. “What?”

“You look like someone’s forcing you to lick up day-old cat vomit,” Kate said.

Ugh. “I do not!” They just laughed harder. “It’s complicated, that’s all.” I threw my napkin at Adam.

“So were my husband and me, and that worked out pretty damn well. Been married seven years now.”

“New relationship?” Adam asked, throwing my crumpled napkin back, bouncing it off my forehead.

“Yeah, but we’ve been together five years.” They both gave me strange looks. “Like I said, complicated.”

Adam grabbed some bacon-wrapped ball from a passing server and popped it into his mouth. “Think you’ll end up getting married too and live happily ever after like Kate here?”

“Nope. I’m never getting married.”

“Never?” Kate said.

“Never.” I slammed down the rest of my drink. Too much serious talk going on. I needed to chase back that buzz.

“Now I really know you’re my dream girl.” He wrapped his hands around his throat and stuck out his tongue. “You gotta stop killing me here.” He dramatically collapsed to the floor before bending on one knee. “Marry me, Perry. Leave your ‘complicated, more than a fuck buddy but not really a boyfriend’ boyfriend and marry me and have all my babies.”

“I thought I was your dream girl because I don’t want to getmarried?”

“Then just have all my babies. I’m okay with that.”

“Get up, you goof-ass. Everyone’s looking.” I was laughing to the point of having to catch my breath, but it was exactly what was needed to lighten the mood.

“Or we can just go through the motions. I’m absolutely okay with that too.”

He tugged on my wrists and I fell forward. “How has no one accused you of sexual harassment yet?”

Kate was cracking up along with me. “I try every week, but for some reason it doesn’t stick.”

I felt like I’d consumed way more alcohol than one drink. I guess I was a cheap date. I attempted to pull him up but ended up tumbling down instead.

“You guys look ridiculous,” Kate said.

“Agreed.”

Adam rose, and I jerked my head up at the deep voice that’d just dipped into our conversation.You’ve gotta be shitting me. “What the hell?” I said. “Seriously, are you stalking me? This is a private work function.”

“Yes, I should’ve guessed that, considering how professional you look down on the floor.”

His mouth was set in a tight line. He didn’t look too happy, but why should I care how happy he looked? He was the one interrupting, the one who seemed to be turning up everywhere I went lately. His tongue-panting looks didn’t excuse his bad manners. In fact, it just pissed me off more.

I stood up and put my hands on my hips. “Excuse me? You have no right to—”

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