Page 16 of Hard to Resist

“Technically, he didn’t cancel. He just…never showed.”

Silence spreads as she blinks three times before measuring her voice. “Are you really telling me he didn’t even have the basic human decency to cancel? He just ghosted you?”

“Technically.”

“That cocksucker. I’m going to murder him.”

“Hannah.”

“Verity,” she whines my name, looking at me like I’m some abandoned kitten.

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not. Why aren’t you more pissed off?”

“Because.” I sit up, flashing her a grin. “The night wasn’t a total bust.”

Her pity quickly morphs into curiosity, an impish glint skating across her vision.

“Oh? Do tell.”

“There was this guy at the bar.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And he invited me to this speakeasy under a Korean fried chicken place—”

“Wait, you mean Anju Boy?”

“Yup.”

“Stop. Ugh. I’ve been trying to get someone to take me there. The drinks are expensive, so I don’t want to pay for them myself.” She nudges her knee against mine. “Nice going.”

“Thanks. Anyway, we got a round of drinks and some food and ended up chatting until like one in the morning. And not just surface level stuff but an actual in-depth conversation.”

“I love this for you. A+ for spontaneity.”

“I knew you’d be proud. I embraced my inner Hannah.”

She rolls her eyes at me lovingly. “Important question: was he hot?”

“Yes, he was hot. You think I’d run off with a stranger if he was ugly?”

“You were freshly ghosted; your judgement could’ve been questionable.”

“He was hot.”

“But like,hothot or office-bro hot?”

I’m not even sure what office-bro hot means.

“Hot hot.”

“Ooh.” She cups her palms under either side of her jaw, grinning. “I wanna see a pic.”

“I don’t have one.”

“You didn’t exchange socials?”

---