Page 32 of The Boyfriend Effect (Frisky Business 1)
I look away and busy my hands by making another pot of coffee and trying to think of literally anything else. Connor and Caleb are chatting about our plans for the morning out on the water, so I nod along with their conversation and pretend I’m paying attention. But really, I’m listening to Maren, who’s coolly telling Holly that she didn’t disturb her at all, and that she slept in perfect bliss. I don’t have to see the look on Holly’s face to know that’s not the answer she was hoping for.
After breakfast, we all change into our suits and meet out on the dock. Caleb, Connor, and Wolfie haul a few kayaks into the water and try to persuade the girls to get in with them. I grab a couple of paddleboards from the rack and nod to Maren.
“Is your balance still as good as it was in high school?” I ask, holding a paddle out to her.
She smiles and opens her mouth to answer, but Wolfie’s voice cuts her off.
“Hayes! Would you get your ass over here and explain to Penelope that these kayaks are designed for two people?”
I sigh and drop the boards. “Be right back.”
Maren shrugs in understanding, and I make my way to the water, where something I can’t quite figure out is going on between Wolfie and Penelope. Are they . . . flirting?
“I’m not getting in that thing with you, Wolfie!” she squeals, slapping his arm with the back of her hand.
Wolfie’s mouth twists into a sideways grin.
What the hell? Looks like I’m not the only one thinking things they shouldn’t these days.
“What seems to be the problem here, folks?” I ask, clasping my hands together and giving Wolfie an easy smile.
Penelope crosses her arms, and Wolfie holds his out by his sides.
“I thought it’d be nice for the two of us to take a little trip around the lake, but Pen doesn’t seem so sure,” he says, his usual growl less angry and more playful than usual.
“I just don’t think it’s safe,” Penelope says, looking worriedly at the kayak.
“We take these bad boys out on the water all the time. If they weren’t safe, we wouldn’t have them,” I tell her with a reassuring nod.
“Well, if they’re so safe, you two can take it. I’m going to go paddleboard with Maren,” Penelope says, tossing her hair over her shoulder and leaving in a huff.
Wolfie grunts and watches her leave, a dumbfounded look on his face.
“Smooth, bro,” I say, giving his arm a good-natured punch. Now both our plans for the day are ruined.
“Shut up.”We spend the morning on the water, kayaking, paddleboarding, floating around in inner tubes, doing pretty much whatever activity we can get our hands on. Later that afternoon, we pack up and pile into the cars to head back into the city, worn out and a little sunburned from our weekend away.
In the car, Wolfie turns the radio to the same station as always. He drums his fingers on the steering wheel along to some classic rock, and I do my best to avoid staring at Maren’s reflection in the rearview mirror every chance I get.
She’s quiet, and that’s not like her. My plan to steal a few moments alone on the water was ruined by Penelope, so I have no idea where Maren’s head is at. I can only imagine what she must think of me now—her older brother’s best friend who took advantage of her when she was in a vulnerable situation. I never should have invited her into my bed last night. It was a mistake, and I’ll apologize the first chance I get.
Or maybe that’s not the case. Maybe she’s quiet because she’s planning how to tell Wolfie. Or . . . maybe she’s planning when we’ll do it again. Either way, I have to know what she’s thinking. I need to talk to her and make sure she’s okay.
My place is on the way to each of theirs, so Wolfie drops me off first. Outside my apartment, he salutes me from the driver’s side while Maren smiles from the passenger seat.
“Thanks again for a fun weekend, Hayes. It was really sweet of you to have us all over,” she says.
“Anytime.”
“See you bright and early tomorrow,” Wolfie says and rolls up the window before driving away.
I trudge myself and my duffel upstairs, wishing Maren had given me some kind of code to crack instead of a polite, generic thank-you. I still have no idea what she’s thinking, but I know now what I have to do.
Wolfie will be dropping off Maren next. Her place isn’t far from mine, so I’d say I have a good ten minutes before she’s alone in her apartment. I catch up with Rosie for a few minutes, starting to fill her in on the weekend. When the time comes, I excuse myself to my bedroom and dial Maren’s number, unconsciously holding my breath while it rings.
