Page 18 of Landlord Wars
“That’s what people always say when you get dumped,” I pointed out.
I’d cared about Paul, but when I looked back, there had been red flags, especially when it came to his family. He’d taken me out and I’d met his friends, but never his parents. I should have seen the signs. Now it was hard for me to trust anyone, including myself.
Elise sat on the bed and patted the mattress. “I’ll do your makeup. You don’t play up your eyes enough.”
I sat obediently and blindly transferred essential items to a small black purse while my sister worked on my eyes. Deep down, I desired a relationship. And going on a blind date through a trusted source was better than giving my number to a stranger at a bar or connecting through a dating app.
She squeezed my cheeks, holding my head in place. “Quit moving. Unless you want winged eyeliner?” She quirked her brow suggestively.
“I’ll stick with the natural look, thank you.” I waited patiently while she beautified me.
“Almost done?” I asked after a few minutes. But when I opened my eyes, she was staring, a light smile on her face.
“I’m proud of you,” she said and tucked the eyeliner pencil back into the makeup bag. “I know you’re scared to date, but it can’t hurt to have more friends in your life, right?” She considered me thoughtfully for a beat. “At the very least, this guy could become a friend.”
I’d had casual friends over the years, but no one who was a constant. My sister was my best friend. “Sure.”
“Now, where’s your pepper spray?” Elise said, swiveling her head dramatically and looking around my room.
I dropped my jaw. “You just told me tonight would be fine!”
Elise laughed. “I’m teasing. Victor is more protective than I am. He wouldn’t send you into the arms of a psycho.”
“As if you can tell by just looking whether or not someone is a psycho.” I glanced in the mirror across from my bed and frowned. “I saidnatural. This is more makeup than I normally wear.”
“You normally wear almost no makeup, so yes, this would be more. Your eyes are beautiful, and you don’t play them up enough. You should wear makeup like this every day.”
I stood and grabbed my purse. “That would require an extra five minutes of getting ready time in the morning, and you know I need my sleep.” I checked my phone. “I better go, or this guy will be waiting.”
Elise shot me a look of frustration as we made our way down the hallway. “It’s okay to be late, Soph. Part of your problem with Paul was that you took on the burden of everything, including making sure he was never put out. It’s okay for a man to be put out. The ones who stick around despite it are the ones you keep.”
Sometimes Elise was wiser than her years. “I’m working on it, okay?”
Elise and I looked up at the same time the faint sound of voices came from the living room.
A sinking feeling came over me as my heels clacked on the hardwood floor, with Elise walking quietly beside me in sneakers. The sound of the voices grew louder. More distinct, male, and familiar.
Jack stood abruptly from his place on the couch the moment Elise and I entered the room, his gaze on her before moving sharply away.
I caught that look of interest, but it wasn’t enough to distract me from the other person taking up the space.
Jack muted the TV and made his way to the kitchen. “Max, this is Elise, Sophia’s sister.”
Elise smiled and greeted Max while the tension in my belly grew. Why did my roommate have to be best friends with this man? If Max were only the landlord, I might be able to avoid him. There’d be no reason to move.
Somehow, I knew Max Burrows would show up tonight—the first time I’d been out on a date in a year. As though he sensed my vulnerability and sought to capitalize on the moment.
Max nodded a greeting at Elise, then slowly swept his gaze over me and my outfit. “Going somewhere?”
“She has a date,” Elise said brightly, and nudged me with her elbow.
My face heated. Why the hell was I embarrassed? I was twenty-seven years old, almost twenty-eight. I should be going on dates every weekend. It was only because I was a workaholic wounded animal after my last relationship that I’d failed to master that twenty-something rule. “I should get going.” I glanced at Elise.
“Oh, yeah, me too,” she said.
“You sure?” Jack said, carrying beers from the fridge. “You’re welcome to join us. We’re about to stream a movie.”
Elise gave a noncommittal shrug. “I don’t have any plans, but I don’t want to interfere in your man time.”
