Page 72 of Grumpy Darling

Thankfully, I was a master at hiding my emotions. “That’s not what I mean,” I said. “The outfit is fine. You look great. But you always look great. You could rock up at school in your PJs and still look great. But you don’t seem comfortable in it. You don’t seem like yourself.”

“This is what guys want though, right?”

“Uh, some guys, I suppose.”

She placed a hand on her hip and lifted a questioning brow. “Guys like Damien?”

My hands were clenched so tightly now I was certain my nails were leaving marks on my palm. “Probably.”

“What about you?” she continued. “Would you want a girl if she was dressed like this?”

“I wouldn’t want a girljustbecause she dressed like this.” We were talking about Paige though, and that was a totally different matter. Of course I wantedherwhen she was dressed like this. I also wanted her when she was dressed in the old pair of blue and pink checked pajamas she had back at our house. Hell, I even wanted her in sophomore year when she’d gone to Cory Carter’s Halloween party dressed as an octopus. That had been a confusing evening.

“Come on, I get this isn’t exactly my style, but are you really saying you wouldn’t check me out if I walked past you wearing this?”

I shrugged.

“Grayson Darling.” The corner of her mouth lifted. ”Are you a prude?”

My eyes narrowed. “I’m just concerned about how many guys are going to be checking you out.”

Her face lit up and I realized that was exactly the wrong thing to say if I wanted to steer her away from choosing this outfit.

“So, thisisthe one I should get?”

“Let’s just see the next option.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Next outfit, Pidge.”

She was still grinning as she disappeared back inside the fitting room. I didn’t want to know what she was trying on next. I just had to pray it was less revealing than the last one. I didn’t know if my heart could take another shock.

My phone had been buzzing like crazy in my pocket, and I reluctantly took it out, if only as a distraction from what was going on behind the curtain in front of me. The group chat Parker had started for his so-called “Operation Shrek” was blowing up. It also appeared to have a new name: “Ogres Are Like Onions.” With a heavy sigh I opened the chat.

Matt: Where the hell are you, Gray?

Reed: Coach said there was an emergency???

Owen: What’s wrong?

Parker: You’re not ditching practice to get another facial, are you?

Matt: ANOTHER facial?

Missing practice might not cost me my spot on the team, or my place at Ryker, but it might just cost me my dignity.

Me: I’m helping Paige. She’s the one with the emergency.

Reed: Is she okay?

Matt: I had last period with her. She seemed fine.

Parker: It’s totally a facial. I called it.

Matt: What’s with Grayson and facials????

Owen: Is this a part of her coaching?

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