Page 62 of Bro Amazing

"Good, because two of the sexiest guys I've ever seen have just walked in." Maddie picks up her drink and leans back in her seat.

"They're not buff, but lanky," says Sasha. "They look like I could teach them a thing or two and they'd love it."

"Are you going to go over and hit on them?" I giggle a little as I sip my wine. I've never seen my critique group react like this to anyone, so these guys must be something special.

"They're chatting at the bar," says Maddie. "Maybe I should go up and get another drink."

"Okay, I'm going to turn very slowly and look," says Angela. "At the bar you said?"

Angela twists a little, humming under her breath, before whipping back around in her seat. "They're looking this way. Do you think they saw me?"

"Do you think we could get them to buy us a drink?" asks Sasha.

"I'm not sure about the drink, but they're definitely coming this way." Maddie brushes her hair back over her shoulder and smiles up at whoever is approaching.

I'm super curious who could have my spicy romance author group so excited. These ladies write panty-melting book boyfriends, so it would take a lot for them to notice a guy in real life.

As these apparent hotties approach, my critique partners sit straighter and smile wider. I'm so curious to turn around and see what they look like, but I stay still in my chair. I already have my hands full with five guys who I admit are pretty hot, and I guess I'll get to see these men my friends are gawking at if they do come over to our table.

Sasha is smiling and looking up through her eyelashes as a presence pauses behind my shoulder.

"Are you ready to go?" asks a disconcertingly familiar voice.

My eyes go wide as I whirl around in my chair, shocked. Yet again, my worlds are colliding and I'm waiting for the floor beneath me to open up and the earth to swallow me whole. Me disappearing would be the best thing that could happen right now.

But nope, I'm still here. Pinned to my seat by Quintin's stare as he and Lionel loom over our table. I'm not sure what to do with myself. I want to hurry them out the door, but that'll be weird. And my critique partners clearly want an introduction, from the way they've been checking my boyfriends out since the moment they stepped into the bar.

"Um, I have to pay my bill." Not original or smooth, but it's the truth.

"Clarissa," says Sasha, a little sharper than usual, pulling my attention away from my roommates, "aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?"

"Yes," I say, drawing out the word and glancing around to my critique partners, then back to my boyfriends. "This is Quintin and Lionel, my …" I pause, weighing my options. "Roommates."

At my word choice, my boyfriends look sharply at me. I'll definitely pay for this later, but hopefully they'll go along with it for now. It's almost like they keep forgetting that they hired me for this position. Lately, there have been moments where it feels like they want it to be real. But it's not like they're introducing me to their friends and family as their girlfriend. No, it's me out here in public taking such a big step, and when this whole situation ends or falls apart as it inevitably will, I'll be the one left alone and embarrassed.

"Yeah, we're living together." Lionel shoots me a wink, then reaches out to shake Sasha's hand. "I didn't catch your name."

"I'm Sasha." She lets her thumb trail along the back of Lionel's hand, holding on for much longer than is necessary or normal, and there's a look in her eye as if she wants to lean forward and devour Lionel. But he'smysnack, not hers.

"This is Maddie and Angela." I point to each of the ladies to draw their attention away from Sasha. "This is my critique group."

As soon as Quintin and Lionel move on, my shoulders relax. Although all three of the other ladies are still shamelessly ogling my boyfriends. Since I'd shown up on their front stoop to interview for their girlfriend, I'd known these gamers weren't bad-looking. In fact, I'd readily admit to myself, and absolutely no one else, that they're actually quite attractive. But I'm surprised my girlfriends are checking them out so blatantly.

"It's nice to meet all of you," says Quintin. "Clarissa doesn't talk about her work much at home, so we're glad she has someone to do that with."

Lionel nods. "That's very important."

"So you haven't read her work?" Sasha asks, bringing the group's attention back to her.

"No," says Lionel, "but when she's ready, we'll be here to support her."

Internally, I cringe. If they ever find out how I'm using them, there is absolutely no way they'll be supportive. In fact, I doubt they'll forgive me for violating their privacy this way.

"These are the roommates who made you come home during our movie night?" asks Sasha, turning toward me accusingly.

"Yeah." I cut my eyes over to Quintin, remembering exactly what they made me come home for.

"Were you locked out?" Sasha narrows her eyes on the way Quintin reaches over to squeeze my shoulder. "Why did you need her to come home without any notice?"

---