Page 89 of Fourth Point Of Contact

“I would rather you do that than come home smelling like hot dogs,” she countered.

Sighing, I took another swig of wine. “Fine. I won’t become a hot dog vendor.”

“Thank you.”

“But I do have to find a job.”

“Then find a normal one. Preferably one where you won’t have to contend with hot men, hot dogs, or the weather.”

“You know, you’re awfully picky.”

“Well, good friends are like that. We sort of care for each other and make sure friends don’t make stupid decisions—like becoming a hot dog vendor.”

I smirked at her. “You love me.”

“I tolerate you.”

I stood up and started walking the five feet to her. “You love me!”

She backed up, rolling her eyes at me. “I do not love you.”

“You so love me! You love me so much.”

She moved around the counter, shooting daggers at me. “I do not love you!”

“You love me. You want to kiss me. You want to marry me,” I recited from the movie we’d seen the other night.

She held up her finger, giving me her harshest glare, which wasn’t all that scary. “Piper, I’m telling you right now, if you don’t stop this, I will throw your ass out.”

I nodded, smiling the whole time. “You would never do that. You love me.”

“That’s it. Get out right now!” she yelled, jabbing her finger toward the door.

Squealing, I ran at her, tackling her with a hug. We stumbled backward until she lost her footing and we both fell to the floor. “You love me!”

“Get off!” she screamed.

I dug my fingers into her stomach and didn’t let up until she was laughing, shoving me off her.

“Get off, get off, get off!”

“Not until you admit you love me!”

“Okay, fine! I love you!”

I sat up in triumph and smiled wide at her. “I knew it!”

Then she slammed her fist into my stomach and I doubled over, gagging as I sucked in a breath.

“You still love me,” I gasped.

20

PATRICK

I would have spentthe next five weeks lounging around my house as I waited for my leg to heal, but my mom was here, and that meant she would drive me insane if I stuck around the house. My only escape was work, and I had a job waiting in the wings for me.

Edu still needed answers about his father, which meant I could get out of here and forget all about the women my mother was trying to set me up with. Carting my ass out of bed, I hobbled over to the bathroom and took a sponge bath, excited for the day I could actually take a fucking shower. Technically, all I had to do was wrap it, but there was no fucking time for all that shit this morning. My mom would already be up, waiting to sic the next single woman on me. I had to move fast.

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