Page 11 of Wicked Flirt
“Yeah, let’s finish up,” Ethan said, giving Ally one last squeeze.
The men headed to the bedroom.
Ally walked into the kitchen. “Come on, ladies, let’s finish packing the boxes. Ethan brought a dolly, so it won’t take long to haul the boxes out. Then we’re done!”
Sabrina joined them in the kitchen and gave Lexi a sympathetic look. “You okay?”
Lexi threw her hands up. “Whatever! Men, right? Can’t live with ’em, can’t fuck without them.”
Ally giggled and Sabrina elbowed her, shaking her head.
“Back to work,” Lexi said, determined to ignore the temptation that was Marcus Shepard.
Even if temptation lived right down the hall.
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Chapter Four
Lexi corralled all of her friends into going to ladies’ night with half-price drinks at Garner’s Sports Bar & Grill on Tuesday. It had been a while since they’d had a girls’ night out, and she was so looking forward to spending time with them without their guys.
She parked and walked briskly to the front entrance, stepping into welcoming warmth. She spotted her friends right away, gathered near one side of the long dark cherrywood bar.
Her heart kicked hard. Marcus sat at the bar too. His back was to her, in a collared light blue dress shirt that pulled tight across his broad back. He was talking to Josh Campbell, the bartender and manager of the place. Now that Marcus was in town Sunday through Wednesday, he must be hanging out with his local friends. She hadn’t run into him at the apartment building since he’d moved in two days ago. She could admit to a small pang of disappointment. He’d grown on her despite the rumors and her friends’ warnings.
She dragged a bar stool over to the very end of the bar next to Hailey and peered down the bar at everyone. “Hey, ladies, how’s it going?”
Mad piped up right away with a big smile. She was the youngest Campbell and a total tomboy. Her hair was growing out awkwardly, shaggy and nearly shoulder-length, dark brown on the top half, fire-engine red on the ends. She was letting it go back to her natural brunette for her upcoming wedding in June. “Hailey’s mom and my dad are shacking up. She’s moving in next weekend.”
“Wow,” Lexi said, glancing at Hailey to see how she was taking the news.
Hailey was unusually quiet, her long strawberry blond hair half hiding her face as she focused on petting little Rose sitting on her lap. That was when Lexi noticed Hailey’s pink fingernail polish was chipped, and three of her nails were short. Was she biting her nails? Holy shit. This was serious. Hailey never left the house unless she was perfectly made-up from head to toe, no detail overlooked. The woman probably slept with lipstick perfectly applied.
Mad was downright cheerful. “They’ve been dating for five weeks, but it’s pretty serious.”
That was fast. Maybe when you found someone late in life, you got serious faster. Both of them were old enough to have fully grown children.
“It’s too soon,” Hailey said morosely. “I told her that.”
Sabrina added her professional relationship counselor opinion. “They seem to be deeply in love. Living together is the next step of intimacy.”
Mad slapped the bar top. “Marriage is right around the corner!”
The women launched into much speculation over the possibility of a marriage between the two and how cute it was to see people their age so mushy with love. Hailey remained withdrawn.
Lexi’s chest tightened in sympathy for Hailey. “You okay about your mom and Joe?” she whispered.
“Of course,” Hailey said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I could use a drink, though. Josh is being so slow today.” She settled Rose back in her pink doggie purse before gesturing to Josh, probably because Josh didn’t like seeing her dog loose at the bar.
Was Hailey unhappy because a possible marriage between her mom and Joe meant Hailey would be connected to her arch-nemesis Josh forever?
Josh ambled over to them. He’d gotten a haircut, his dark brown hair short on the sides, longer on top, still sexily rumpled. He wore a red flannel shirt with worn jeans. His stubble was approaching beard territory and looked good on him.
“Hey, ladies, what can I get you?” he asked.
“I’ll have some pinot grigio,” Lexi said. “Thanks.”
“Cranberry juice with vodka,” Hailey said firmly. “Light on the juice.”
