Thief

I just shrug, not wanting to tell her about Sean. She already gave me a serving of advice, and I don’t want another helping of it. Or maybe I don’t want to hear the truth. I want to stay in this dreamy little bubble of the sweet hot guy chasing after me for as long as I can, whether it’s real or not.

Me: I’m really okay with whichever you want to do.

I try again, willing him to text me back.

“You jump in the shower first.”

I grab my wine from off the counter and take a sip. I don’t like the taste. I’ve never been a fan of alcohol of any kind. It all tastes gross to me, but Harper seems to enjoy it, chugging her glass and pouring another.

“Hop to it if you want me to style you up. I want to get there earlier to get a table.”

“Okay, Okay.” Taking my wine with me, I head to the shower, making quick work so Harper can dress me up.

When I get out, I check my phone again. Nothing.

Me: Do you need my address?

Jesus. I sent three messages in a row. Is that like pathetic or something? Needy? I have no idea what I’m doing here. Grr. I drop my phone and concentrate on brushing and blow-drying my hair. I don’t want to think about it anymore.

But I have no self-control, and I pick up my phone again just as Harper is coming out of the bathroom. Is this what girlfriends do? They talk about boys. Well, men, I guess. Sean is so far from a boy it’s almost laughable.

“He’s not texting me back.”

“Who?” Harper drops her towel so she’s standing naked in front of me while she pulls her hair down from her ponytail and starts brushing it out. I feel awkward standing here with her naked, but if I had a body like hers, I’d probably walk around naked, too.

“The guy from the bank,” I confess a little sheepishly, like she’s my mom and I’m going to get in trouble.

“I thought we talked about that. Player. You can’t handle someone like him.”

“But,” I try to protest, but she cuts me off.

“He’s probably got his dick deep in some other snatch, and he’ll come a-calling when he’s done with her and ready for the next.”

I cringe at her words. Dick deep. Jesus. Even worse, jealously shoots through me, making me tense. That’s not good.

She actually looks at me like she feels a little bad. “Trust me, I know the type.”

Sadly, her words do nothing to make me feel better because I believe her. She does know the type. She’s had them coming in and out of here since she moved in.

“Unless that’s what you’re looking for? Just a little fun.” She wiggles her eyebrows.

Could I just do this for fun? No. I definitely couldn’t. Sean seems like that kind of man who would leave me devastated. A man no one else could ever live up to.

“He was so sweet.” I can’t stop myself from trying again. Standing up for him. There was just something there. I felt it. The way he touched me, pulled me close, like he couldn’t get enough of me. I felt wanted for the first time in a long time. Someone had chosen me. No one ever chooses me. My parents didn’t want me, so I was dropped on my grandma. She had no choice but to take me.

“They all are. That’s how they get into your pants. You think he can be an asshole and then you’ll suck his cock? No. The worst ones are the sweet ones. They make you think they’re different, but they’re gone just as quick as the rest of them.”

With that, she walks out of my room, only to return a few minutes later with a make-up bag and a robe on. I’m still looking at my phone pathetically when Harper grabs it from my hands.

“Stop. Don’t be a Debbie downer. I want to go out and have fun. Dance, get drunk, and then get laid. That’s the plan.”

I don’t try to snatch the phone back. I need to stop obsessing.

“Don’t respond to any of his texts if he texts you back tonight. You’ll seem easy. Text him back tomorrow. If he even texts back. Hell, I’d wait till Monday. Make it seem like you were super busy all weekend having fun.”

Her reasoning doesn’t seem half bad. Not like I have anything to compare this to. I just had my first kiss today, and I’m falling all over the guy. She knows more about dating than I do, but I wonder if she ever even follows her own advice. She goes through men faster than I thought possible, but maybe that’s what she wants.

“Now. Let’s get you dressed up and make you forget all about Sean.”

I pick up my glass of wine and shoot it back. It burns going down, but the act makes a wicked smile spread across Harper’s lips.

“Do me up,” I tell her, already feeling a smidge better. I’m going to go out and try to have a good time. Whether I want to or not. One thing is for sure, though, I’m not going to check my phone again.

Chapter 9

Sean

The second we are finally finished at the club, I’m out of my chair and out the door. I don’t wait around to hear what gets said about me. I’ve got somewhere to be, and that’s with my girl, making sure she is okay. I hate when I don’t have eyes on her. It makes me feel uneasy.

Nick gets up the same time I do, exiting the club and going to his car. I wait for just a second for him to leave, not wanting him following me.

I kept feeling my phone vibrate with incoming text messages throughout the meeting, but I couldn’t check them. Too many eyes were on me, and I’d already had enough attention brought to me today thanks to Nick. I needed to keep my head down and stick to the plan, and that meant paying attention and staying cool.