The waitress sets down my coffee, and I realize I’m smiling like an idiot. I’ve never been one to daydream, but Daren does that to me. Puts me in this strange place where all I want to do is fantasize about the next time I’ll see him.

I shake my head, trying to focus.

As I sit in the coffee shop waiting for my lunch date, nerves perk up in my stomach. Daren and I might be undefined, but there’s one person I want to talk to if I hope to move forward with him.

I spot her gorgeous blonde hair across the room and wave to her. When she reaches the table, I get up to hug her. “Clementine, it’s great to see you.”

“It’s been too long! I don’t think we’ve hung out since that sex toy party Jenna had at the beginning of the summer.” She shakes her head with an embarrassed grin and tosses her stuff into the booth before scooting in. Her roommate Jenna throws these crazy parties where all the girls go home with vibrators. It’s way over the top and tons of fun.

I was a little apprehensive about what Daren would think about me hanging out with Clem, but when I told him, a huge smile broke out on his face, and he told me to give her a noogie for him.

Grinning at Clem, I tell her, “Jenna would probably love the book club my roommate Sheri belongs to. They read tons of smut.”

She nods and leans closer conspiratorially and whispers, “My new novel is a little smutty.”

“It’s the first thing on my TBR list. I’ve just been slammed with work. Sheri’s out of town right now, but when they have their next get-together, I’ll give you guys a heads up, and you can check it out.”

“Sounds like fun. You know, I’ve been reading more erotica lately because Jenna bet me I wouldn’t, and I have to admit some of it is pretty good. But that girl is pushing me to write dirtier books, and that shit isn’t happening. No way am I writing sex scenes about a cock stroking her folds like a free-range chicken.”

I nearly choke on my iced tea.

We talk more about books, and she fills me in on her new novel and what she’s been up to since graduation. We’ve been gabbing for a while when I finally get the nerve to say what’s on my mind.

“Clem, you know how grateful I am to you for getting me that interview, right? So many big things happened for me after that segment.”

“No thanks are necessary. Besides, you took it easier on me than Matt Lauer would have.” Clementine got thrown into the limelight last fall when her identity as a well-known young adult author got blown by a former professor. For the average person, this wouldn’t have been a big deal, but she’s the heiress of two business tycoons, so she had media trucks parked on her street for days when her pen name was leaked.

“I don’t know about that. You answered some pretty uncomfortable questions.” Like whether the cheating boyfriend in her book was based on Daren, which she denied. I can understand why. I would’ve lied too. At the time, Daren was up for the Heisman, so their names made headlines for weeks.

I’m so glad Daren and I had that talk last week. I’d never be ready to hang out with Clem like this if we hadn’t. But now comes the hard part.

I take a steadying breath and decide to rip off the Band-Aid. “I actually wanted to talk to you about something, and I’m not sure how you’re going to take it.”

Her eyes widen dramatically. “You can’t just drop that on my lap. Spit it out.” She laughs, and I continue.

“Okay, you know how I met Daren the day I interviewed you?”

She nods.

“And you know how I’ve been interviewing him every week for that sports segment?”

“Yeah, I love those segments. They’re great. You and Daren have great rapport. Your chemistry is off the charts.”

I wait for her to connect the dots. A minute later, her eyebrows tilt up and her mouth falls open. “Holy fuckballs. You guys are dating!” She’s grinning, so I’m guessing she’s not pissed.

“Shhh!” I look around, making sure no one is listening. “We’re not official or anything, but yes, we have been spending a lot of time together. I moved into a condo next door to him this summer, and then he had this party, and we… we…”

She shakes her hand at me. “Say no more. It’s none of my business. I’m just so glad he’s met someone awesome!” And then she jumps out of the booth and comes around to hug me again. Whoa.

I laugh into her embrace, relieved she’s okay with this.

She shoves my shoulder. “I have to tell you I knew he was into you that day. When I introduced you guys, he was totally gawking at you.”

“He was not.” Oh my God. Was he? I don't think I believed him when he told me he's been interested in me since then. Nerdy teenage Maddie does a high kick and spirit fingers.

“He was too. Seriously, he’s an amazing guy.” She looks down. “Honestly, he and I never should have dated. We were never right. I want you to know that in case you feel any weirdness about he and I being friends.”

I start to shake my head, but she puts a hand up. “Veronica hated that he and I worked through things, but Daren is a really loyal person. Which must sound weird given how he and I broke up.” She groans. “I’m not explaining this right.” She blows her bangs out of her face. “He has always been there for me and Jax. When all that shit went down with my professor last year, Daren rode in on a white horse and got me a place to lie low, a killer attorney, helped me figure out a plan. Given that my book was about our relationship, I’d say he went above and beyond what anyone would expect of him.”

My eyes fall to my lap. I’m not sure what to say.

“Hey.” Clem waits until I look at her to give me a rueful smile. “He and I both made mistakes. I played a role in what happened too. I’m not excusing his behavior, but we were young, and we did stupid things. And in the big scheme of things, that part of our relationship was a drop in the bucket. I’ve known him my whole life, and aside from our breakup, he’s saved my ass so many times I’ve lost count. My brother’s too. I just… I want you to know you can trust him. You won’t find a better man.”

I take a deep breath, trying to process everything. My stomach flutters, and I can’t help the smile that plays on my lips. “He is a good man, and I really lo—” The word on the tip of my tongue makes me catch my breath. “I really like him.”

A knowing smile tips Clem’s mouth upward. “I’m glad you really like him. Now don’t fuck him over or I’ll have to kick your ass.” Then she gives me one more squeeze and tells me I need to read some smut because it’s great for my sex life.

All righty then.