Page 30 of Infatuation

I’m about to hang up, but his tone is so emphatic, I feel compelled to stay on the line. “What?”

He exhales. There’s a long beat as he collects himself. “YOLO,Kat,” he says earnestly.

I bite my lip. Oh, he’s good. He’s really good. A giggle escapes my mouth, even though I don’t want it to.

Oh man. I want him. He’s one hundred percent right. But I’ve got a problem. I make it a rule never to sleep with a man on a first date if I’m interested in him as potential boyfriend-material. It’s a rule Ineverbreak. I’m not quite sure if all my interactions with Josh add up to the equivalent of a first date or not, but I don’t want to risk it. But, regardless of my stupid rule (because if ever there was a time to break my rule, it’s now, with Josh), if Josh is leaving on a flight to New York first thing tomorrow, then tonight’s not our night, anyway. Something tells me when I finally get to take a big ol’ bite out of thisparticular man’s ass—and I’m not being figurative there—I’m gonna wanna go back for seconds and thirds and fourths and fifths. I exhale a long, shaky breath. It’s been so freaking long since I’ve felt even a glimmer of what I’m feeling right now, I don’t want to fuck it up by being Classic Kat.

“I gotta go, Playboy,” I say. I exhale again and my tone shifts to complete sincerity. “Josh, seriously. It’d be too heartless, even for me, to blow off Cameron after how sweet he’s been to me. I can be a bitch, you should be warned, but not that big a bitch.”

Josh is silent on the line for a long beat. “Shit,” he finally says. “Okay. Then. Fuck. I guess I’ll see you next week, then.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

He exhales with resignation.

“Hey, make sure you get my email address from Sarah in the meantime.”

“Why?”

“So you can send me your Club application. It’s required reading before I’ll go out with you.”

He audibly rolls his eyes. “Not gonna happen.”

I laugh. “You’re used to getting whatever you want, when you want it, aren’t you?”

“Damn straight.”

“Well, guess what?So am I.”

He laughs. “Mmm hmm. Well, sucks to be you, Party Girl. I guess you’ve finally met your match.”

“Mmm hmm. We’ll see.”

He chuckles. “We’ll see.”

“Travel safe, Josh,” I say earnestly. “I gotta go have dinner withCameron Schulz,the shortstop for the Mariners.” I wait a beat, but he doesn’t reply. “I hope to see you soon, Josh,” I add sincerely.

“Tell Cameron his batting average sucks dick right now and that whiff at the plate last night against the Yankees was a fucking embarrassment.”

“I’ll be sure not to tell him you said so.”

“Bye, Kat.”

“Bye, Josh. I’ll look forward to your email with your application attached.”

“Not a fucking chance, Party Girl. Not a fucking chance in hell.”

I laugh. “We’ll see about that.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.”

“I don’t need luck. I’ve got you right where I want you, Playboy.”

“Mmm hmm. I think it’s the other way around.”

“That’s what Iwantyou to think.”

He laughs. “Sure thing, PG. Keep telling yourself that. Bye, Kat.”

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