Page 35 of Her Rock Star's Dark Secret

“How do you know?” he asked.

“I can just tell,” Alexis said cryptically. “I can always tell about these things. It’s like a gift. A sixth sense.”

“And your sixth sense says Lauren wants me to ask her out?”

“She wants you to do more than that. She’s been giving you her ‘kiss me’ eyes.”

He had noticed that from her the other night when he was planning the memorial with her in her apartment.

“You want to kiss her back, too,” Alexis said.

“Is that so?” Chase said.

“My spidey senses are telling me that.”

“Interesting.” He wasn’t sure how he felt about his sister analyzing him like that.

He put a bottle of orange juice in the door of the fridge.

“So how about it? Are you going to ask Lauren out?”

“I don’t even know what there is to do around here anymore.”

“Dixie’s Tavern is pretty much the best hangout spot for nightlife, in my opinion. They have karaoke and dancing.”

“That actually does sound fun,” Chase said. “I’ll text Lauren to see if she wants to go.”

He pulled out his phone and typed out a quick message.

Chase: Want to sing karaoke with me at Dixie’s tonight?

Lauren: Sounds fun. But I don’t have a sitter for Penny.

“Can you watch Penny tonight?” Chase asked Alexis.

“I have to go to bed, but I can put Penny to sleep with a baby monitor in my room. That way, if she wakes up, I can just go check on her. Lauren and I do that all the time. Penny and I have the same bedtime, so it works out. She’s fairly good about going to sleep.”

Chase: Alexis says she can watch Penny.

Lauren: Perfect. It’s a date!

Butterflies swam through Chase’s belly. Did she mean a real date?

Lauren: I mean, unless you don’t mean for it to be a date. If not, that’s okay.

Chase felt like he was the awkward teen from high school all over again. He felt like Lauren was putting him on the spot now. He definitely wanted it to be a date. He was insanely attracted to Lauren. He’d been thinking about her all day.

Chase: No, it’s definitely a date. Come hungry and bring Penny with you. Alexis and I will have dinner ready here at 5:30. Then you and I can go to Dixie’s. Does that work for you?

Chase had never pursued a woman this directly. He’d always kept them at arm’s length. He was the guy who surrounded himself with women, but they were all just casual friends. He wasn’t even sure he knew what he was doing with Lauren tonight, but he was tired of fighting the pull to be with her.

Lauren: That sounds perfect. Thanks!

Suddenly, he felt nervous. He rummaged through his suitcase, looking for the right thing to wear.

“What are you doing?” Alexis came over to where he was.

“Trying to figure out what to wear tonight.” Chase pulled out a few options and spread them out on the blue couch for Alexis to see.

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