Page 71 of That Moment
“Is it too much, though?” I ask, turning back to the mirror. The dressisshort. The neckline dips just enough to be dangerous, the kind of thing that walks the line between sexy and slutty. “I just wanted to feel good tonight.”
“You lookamazing,” she says, pushing off the bed to stand beside me. “You’ve been drowning in work and Scotty drama for weeks. You deserve to feel hot.”
“I’m not drowning in Scotty drama. There is no Scotty drama. There’s just Scotty, my friend that I fucked.”
“Adrienne.” She gives me the look. “You’ve been orbiting each other like two idiots in a slow-motion collision. If that’s not drama, I don’t know what is.”
“Maybe it’s just gravity,” I mutter, reaching for my lip gloss. “That’s probably Brook.” My phone buzzes on the dresser. I grab it automatically, expecting one of the girls, but my stomach flips when I see the name.
Scotty:Are we still on for tomorrow?
I stare at the screen, biting the inside of my cheek. It’s not a question about the car. It’s an excuse to reach out. I know it, and so does he.
Me:Yep.
Three dots appear, disappear. Then appear again.
Scotty:Can’t stop thinking about how you taste. Makes my mouth water. Come over.
My pulse kicks. Heat floods my chest, my throat, my skin. He has to know exactly what that does to me.
I type back, fingers shaking just a little.
Me:Can’t. I’ve got plans.
This time, there’s a pause.
Scotty:With who?
I grin, wicked and petty and a little drunk on the power of it and the prosecco I’ve been sipping over the last hour.
Me:Someone’s nosey. Jealous?
Another pause, this one longer, followed by a single word that sends a shiver down my spine.
Scotty:Adrienne.
Me:The girls.
Scotty:What are you wearing?
I laugh under my breath. “Get better pickup lines,” I murmur, my thumbs flying.
Me:Get better pickup lines.
Then, because I can’t help myself, I take one last look in the mirror. I glance over at Dolly, but she’s focused on something on her phone. On impulse, I lift my phone and snap a picture, making sure the angle captures just how short and how low the dress cuts. I also make sure to smile, just enough to sayyour loss.
I hit send before I can overthink it. The reply is instant.
Scotty:Fuck me. Who do you have to look so good for? You sure you can’t come by first?
My stomach does a full somersault. I set the phone down like it’s hot. “Nope,” I whisper to myself. “You don’t get to ruin girls’ night.”
Dolly leans around the corner, one brow arched. “Who’s trying to ruin girls’ night?”
I grab my clutch and toss the phone inside. “No one. Just… work stuff.”
She doesn’t buy it for a second, but she smiles anyway. “Uh-huh. Well, work can wait. We’ve got a wine bar to scandalize.”
