Page 10 of Midnight Wishes

In the driver’s seat, Zoe began coughing madly as she tried to swallow a laugh. Abby passed her an open bottle of water and turned her face back to Sarah, who angled her body so she wasn’tquite looking back at her friend. She had his numbernow. But considering Abby was asking specifically about that night, Sarah didn’t feel it was strictly a lie to say no.

‘Too bad. I’ve never seen you that emphatic about how good a quick lay was. Imagine if he took his time.’

Beside Sarah, Zoe was biting her lip to keep her grin in, and Sarah cursed internally at the memory of the girls’ night Zoe had hosted a few weeks afterthe Bathroom Guy incident. The one where they’d polished off four bottles of wine and she had unknowingly admitted to Abby how good her future brother-in-law’s dick was.

Cringing to herself, she steered the conversation back to Abby’s dream dress, which thankfully lasted until they arrived at her mother’s studio.

***

Sarah: How can I help with the engagement party?

Sarah scowled ather phone, annoyed that she’d had to text him first. But it was already Tuesday, and she’d had radio silence from him since the invitation debacle on Saturday. If he wanted her help, three days was already cutting it fine.

Alex: Wear a pretty dress.

She wasn’t going to engage with that.

Sarah: Food? Decor? Music?

Abby would kill her if at least ten percent of the playlist wasn’t Taylor Swift, and she wasn’t sure she could trust Alex to provide that.

Alex: All sorted.

Sarah: If you’re sure you want Abby to murder you when her favourite Taylor Swift songs aren’t on that playlist, that suits me fine.

Alex: Trust me, I’ve got it covered.

Ugh.Infuriating, condescending man.

Sarah: Fine. Just tell me what I owe you.

Alex: If you really want to help, you can come over early todecorate.

Spending any length of time alone with him wasn’t appealing, but if this was the price she had to pay for being a stellar maid of honour, she’d do it.

On the bright side, her annoyance with Alex had consumed her enough that she’d forgotten to be annoyed with her current painting, a mud-brown bearded dragon sprawled in a flower garden. She’d actually been excited when the reference pictures—from a professional photoshoot, of course—had been sent over, because the flowers would inject some fun into the composition. Until she’d been asked to ensure Maurice’s sparkling personality shone through and wasn’t overpowered by the background.

Dragging her attention back to the painting, she scowled, turned away again, and grabbed her sketchbook, letting herhands work in a flurry of charcoal while she indulged in her latest trashy dating show.

When she saw what filled the page an hour later, she slammed the book shut in disgust and went to make herself a drink.

Chapter 6

ALEX

Moves | Suki Waterhouse

‘Sorry, Larsson, amI keeping you from something more important?’

When he looked up from his phone, Alex’s least favourite co-worker was glaring at him from the other side of the conference room.

Pete.

Known scumbag in and out of the office, Desmond Peterson regularly kept him from things that were more important than his thin, punchable face and reedy voice.

Currently, the thing in question was that, for the first time, Sarah was texting him. Which meant she’d been thinking of him. Even if it was only to help with the engagement party. Even if she was as dismissive of him over text as she was in person.

Sarah: Fine.

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