Page 46 of Rules in Love
“Teddy, why did you message me if you were at my front door?”
“I wanted to assess your mood before approaching. What are we watching?”
“Apart from my life going down the toilet? Nothing. I just got out of the bath.”
“Thought so. You smell good. Wanna make out?” I laughed and pushed his shoulder. “You’re right. There is no way I can compete with Finn. I know that already, and you’ve told me nothing about it. That ends now. Dish.”
I took a deep breath, pictured Finn dry humping me against the rail, and quivered.
“WOW. You just orgasmed, didn’t you?”
“Little bit, yeah.”
“That good, eh?”
“Yup,” I said with a pop. “I think that’s why it hurts so much to be work-friend-zoned. I’m never going to taste those plump—”
“Ass cheeks?”
“Lips, again.”
“Bullshit. I give it a week, and he’ll have you bent over the copier, Xeroxing your boobs as he shags you senseless.”
I enjoyed that mental image before responding. “Nope. As much as it sucks, Finn was right. We both need to focus on Hudson River House. Maybe things will be different after we’re done. But until then, it is strictly business.”
Scarlett
Yet again, I had procrastinated to the point of nausea. It was Tarrytown day. I still hadn’t spoken to Finn about what happened, but I was determined to do so before we left.
With a lump of remorse the size of Texas in my throat, I approached our building, tossed my head back, and made a wish on the hidden stars. “Please, don’t let me fuck this up.”
“Scarlett. Are you alright?”
I returned my eyes to ground level and found Finn looking sexy as hell in dark jeans, a navy shirt, and a tailored tweed jacket, scratching his head.
“Finn. Hi. Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
“You’re standing on the street, talking to the sky. I know New York is weird, but…”
“Oh. That. No, that was just… I was just stretching my neck. I’ve got a real stiff one.” I then proceeded to demonstrate stretching in case Finn didn’t know what that was.Idiot.
“I’ve heard a good stretch does wonders for morning stiffness.” Smirking, he sipped from his coffee like he hadn’t made a hard-on joke and nodded toward the building. “Here, let me get the door for you. Are you looking forward to the trip? Do you know where we are staying—”
In classic Lloyd fromDumb and Dumberstyle, I pressed a finger over his lips and shushed him before I had time to think. “I want to apologize for acting like I did at the party.” The words burst out in a flurry and didn’t stop. “Every day since has been pretty horrendous. I was angry, then embarrassed, and then I got embarrassed for being embarrassed, and it all kind of snowballed. So yeah, I didn’t handle it well. I know we have been able to work together, but I miss being buddies, and I hope you can forgive me for being a dick.”
“Forgive you? Scarlett. There is nothing to forgive. I stuck my tongue down your throat—oh, pardon me.” Two women walked between us and tutted. Finn blushed and held the door open for their disapproving asses. I would have shut it. “As I was saying, I did the tongue stuff and then gave you some lame-ass excuse of why I shouldn’t have. I’m the one that needs to apologize. I’m the dick.”
We’d just stepped inside, and the word dick loudly echoed through the cavernous lobby, drawing many a smirk and giggle from passersby and more tuts from the door bitches.
“Well, looks like we are both dicks, so I guess that makes us even?”
“I guess it does.” He then did that thing he did often, where he stood close to me, breathed, looked, and smelled all gorgeous. I loved-slash-hated when he did that.
“So, we’re okay? Mates again? he asked, his eyes wide with hope.
“Mates.” I nodded, shaking his offered hand. “Maybe one day we can go out for drinks again and talk some more—if you’d like?”
“I’d like that a lot, Red.”
