Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Charlie had just broken it off with Red Flag Jim yet again last night, and all morning, he’d been glowering and gloomy.
“These lyrics are bullshit,” Charlie said. “All you need is love? Apparently, for Jim, all you need is a working penis and a pair of lips, and he’ll gladly fuck you. He told me we were exclusive four days ago, for fuck’s sake. I’ve had nothing but love for that man, and he keeps screwing me over.”
“Forget about him,” I said.
“I plan on it,” Charlie said, sitting up a little straighter at the wheel.
As I stared out the passenger side window, a strange envy passed through me. Charlie’s relationship with Jim was a shitshow that needed to be long gone, without a doubt.
But at least he’d gotten laid.
My stupid infatuation with Rush hadn’t let up even though I knew it was a dead end. I dreamed about him. I always hoped he’d be there when we went to the brewery. I got a little thrill every time his name popped up on my phone, and when he was just sending funny photos to the group chat, I always wished it was for me.
I liked seeing funny photos of oddly shaped tomatoes that resembled somebody’s ass as much as the next guy. But what I really wanted was for Rush to be texting me. Thinking of me.
“You know who needs to hear these lyrics?” I asked as the song finished playing.
“If you’re about to say Rush, just quit while you’re ahead,” my brother said.
“I mean it, though,” I protested, furrowing my brow as I looked out at the trees. “I’ve never met someone who hates the idea of relationships so much.”
Nathan let out a chuckle. “Rush will never fall in love.”
I clicked my tongue. “Honestly, I think he’s just too afraid of it.”
“Not so sure about that one,” Nathan said. “He’s a lifelong-single type. You don’t know him like I do.”
And you don’t know him like I do, I thought.
How good of a kisser he is.
How cuddling with him feels better than half the sex I’ve ever had.
After a few long, cram-packed weeks of initial teardown and restructuring of our dud fixer-upper, things had finally started to look up. We were going to break even on the investment after paying all of our subcontractors, so at least we wouldn’t be losing money. Once we’d turned the house over to our interior subcontractors, Nathan and I were free to begin real work on Rush’s house.
I didn’t know whether I was looking forward to it or dreading it. Hours and hours of time in Rush’s house, seeing him almost every day, and having unrestricted access to his home? It probably wasn’t going to help get rid of my crush.
I’d been trying to stop thinking about him. Tonight I had a date set up with another new guy from a dating app, and I hoped to God I could score.
But that didn’t stop me from perking up with excitement as Charlie pulled the work van into the gravel parking area outside Rush’s house. We cut the radio and hopped out, breathing in the morning air.
“Twenty bucks says he’s not even awake yet,” Nathan said.
“Make it a hundred bucks,” I said. “Last time I met him here, he had just rolled out of bed at eight.”
This was going to be good. It was still seven in the morning right now. He was going to be all sleepy and bedheaded again, and I was going to enjoy looking at early-morning Rush, right after he’d sent me that cute text.
I knocked on the front door and was surprised when it opened quickly, just a moment later.
“Oh God, it really is seven already, isn’t it?” Rush asked, swinging the door wide.
This wasn’t what I was expecting.
I sure as shit wasn’t looking at a man who had just woken up. He looked tired, but he was dressed in dark denim jeans and an expensive-looking black collared shirt, which was unbuttoned a bit at the top.
He looked very good. And he also looked like he was ready to head to a nightclub. What the hell was going on here?
He glanced at me. I couldn’t read the expression behind his eyes.
“Did—did you sleep at all last night?” I asked.
“Can’t say I did,” he told me. “Come on in. My friend Peter is just heading out.”
I looked over toward the couch where a tall, blond, gorgeous male-model-looking guy was tugging on his shoes.
Something inside me deflated like a balloon.
“Oh,” I said. “Hi there. Nice to meet you, Peter.”
It all made sense now. Rush looked like he was dressed for the night because he’d been up since last night.
Clearly he’d had a very long, probably very fun night with this insanely attractive friend of his.
“What a pleasure it is to meet you, too,” Peter said, giving me an equally radiant smile. “Rush mentioned he had friends coming to fix up his new house.”