Page 57 of Cinderella Screwed Me Over
“And you say I’m trouble.” Drew nudged me with his elbow. “Tell me about the fight. You get any hits in?”
“I wish.” I told Drew the story, then grabbed my phone off the table and showed him the picture of Karl’s black eye. “His job is about peacefully resolving things, and he had to walk in looking like this.”
“But this isn’t the guy you’re dating?”
I shook my head. “No, this guy’s just a… I guess he’s a friend now.”
“So when do I get to meet your boyfriend? I’ve got to see if he’s good enough. That’s a brother’s job, you know.”
I set my phone down. “One, he’s not my boyfriend. And two, you and Devin seem to think it’s your job to torture my boyfriends.”
“That’s ’cause you always date city boys who can’t take a joke. I don’t think you’ve had a decent boyfriend yet. Except Gil, and that was forever ago.”
“Thanks for rubbing it in, jerkface.” I scooted to the edge of the couch. “Let’s go get something to eat, I’m starving.”
Drew took his feet off my coffee table and slipped on his shoes. “After, let’s go to the mall and you can help me pick out a shirt. Just nothing too prissy. I want to impress Lisa, not have her question my sexuality.”
I stared at Drew, thinking I must have misheard him. “You’re going to let me pick out a shirt for you? Hmm. Maybe there really is something different about this girl.”
“Damn straight.”
My phone rang. “I bet that’s the devil, calling to tell me he’s freezing his ass off.”
It wasn’t actually Lucifer. Just a charming guy with devilish good looks, calling to ask me what I was doing tomorrow night.
Chapter Nineteen
When I heard knocking, I glanced at the clock.
He must be excited to get going, because he’s a few minutes early.Jake wanted me to help him pick out furniture for his place. First order of business was going to be finding a coffee table. He’d been eating at the restaurant or off his lap since he’d moved in.
I stuck in my hoop earrings and hurried to my door. Swinging it open, I said, “Hey, I—”
Instead of Jake, Stephanie stood there, tears streaming down her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Anthony and I got into this huge fight,” Stephanie said. “I should’ve warned you I was coming. But I’m so mad and sad and argh! I just punched in the code and hurried up, hoping you were home. I decided that even if you weren’t, I’d hide out here for a while.”
“Come on in. You know you can always stay here, even if I’m gone.”
We walked across the room and sat down on the couch.
Stephanie rubbed her temples. “We never used to fight. But lately…everything’s just such a struggle. It’s like we don’t even speak the same language. He was such a jackhole tonight, then he tells meI’moverreacting.”
I put my hand on her back. “What happened?”
She shook her head and took a deep breath. “I didn’t know he was a chauvinistic pig. He expects me to be sitting at home like a fifties housewife, with the house all cleaned and dinner cooked and ready the instant he steps in the door. I work, too!”
“You do. I don’t know how you get so much done.”
“I know I’m not working as many hours right now, but that’s because I’m doing all the planning for the wedding. Any time I ask his opinion, he says he doesn’t care, but his mom cares abouteverything. And then there’s this typo I’m dealing with, and all he can say when he gets home is, ‘What’s for dinner?’ Like I’m his maid or cook.” Stephanie’s voice got higher and higher with each sentence. “Is this how it’s going to be the rest of my life? I should’ve never moved in with him. I wish I was still living with you.”
A loud knock sounded on my door.
“I’ll be right back.” I crossed the room and answered the door.
Jake leaned in and gave me a peck on the lips, his hand going to that spot on my hip that drove me crazy. “Ready, gorgeous?”
