Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
“And one thing led to another, and you started making out?” Tally asks.
“Uh, no, that wasn’t how it ended.” Dallas is literally the last person I would willingly make out with, except for maybe Charles.
Shilps clears her throat.
“I can’t believe we haven’t heard this story before,” Dred muses. I can’t tell if I’m imagining her skepticism or not.
“Well, they were trying to keep it a secret,” Shilpa explains helpfully.
A murmur of agreement comes from around the table.
“The fire alarm went off, we had to evacuate the building, and the fire department came.”
“I love firefighters,” Tally says.
“Same,” I agree. “So we’re standing outside, Dallas is wearing a half-burned T-shirt, covered in hives, and the fire department shows up. They do their thing, and of course we have to talk to them because it was my apartment. I was explaining what happened, and Dallas was boring holes in the side of the firefighter’s head. I didn’t know if he was just loopy from the Benadryl, but he went totally caveman.”
“Caveman how?” Hammer’s eyes light up.
I glance at the TV where two people are fencing and blurt, “He challenged the firefighter to a duel.”
“No!” Rix throws her head back and laughs.
Dallas appears out of nowhere, a smile lighting up his stupid pretty face. “What’s so funny?”
“Hemi was just telling us the beginning of your secret love story,” Shilpa explains. Thank God for her fortress of a memory.
“You mean the time we went to karaoke and I serenaded you?” Dallas asks.
Of course he’s going to screw this whole thing up for me. Sweat trickles down my spine. We’re only hours into this charade and about to blow it all up. And my life. Worse than it already is. “No, that came later. Although your memory of the night in question might be a little foggy thanks to the Benadryl.”
He nods slowly. “Because I had an allergic reaction.”
“And nearly burned my apartment down. Then you challenged the firefighter to a duel when you thought he was flirting with me,” I say as though I’m reminding him, not making this up on the fly. Why is fencing on TV right now?
I’m incredibly surprised when Dallas tucks a hand in his pocket, and gives me a sultry, impish smile. “I didn’t think he was flirting with you, Wilhelmina, I know he was. And I needed him to know that despite the state of my face and how high I was on antihistamines, I was ready to fight to the death in your honor.”
“You’re giving the antihistamines a lot of credit.” I prop my chin on my clasped hands and bat my lashes at him. I am more than happy to throw him under the bus and back up a few times. “But they were helpful in getting you to be open and honest with me about your feelings, considering you professed your undying love once we were back in my aired-out apartment.”
Dallas’s eye twitches. As much as I hate lying to my friends, there’s immense satisfaction in watching him try to keep his expression neutral while I weave this outlandish tale.
“Well, I had been holding on to those feelings for a long time.” He sighs and shakes his head. “It was a challenge. The allergic reaction, combined with the near-death experience, and that firefighter hitting on you—a man can only take so much. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I had to tell you how I felt.”
“You did, extensively and emphatically, and then you passed out with your head in my lap.”
“I don’t regret it. I could sleep with my head in your lap every day for the rest of my life and be a happy, happy man.”
I don’t have a chance to reply because Ash appears and slings an arm over Dallas’s shoulder. “Not to be a party pooper, but the four of us really should get going if we’re gonna make our reservation tonight.”
Shilpa glances at her phone. “Oh wow, I didn’t realize the time.”
Dallas rolls with it, and so do I, glad for the escape.
I hug all the girls and slide out of the booth. I don’t have a choice but to accept Dallas’s hand and allow him to wrap his arm around my shoulder and pull me into his side.
He kisses the top of my head. I smile and try to laser beam him to death with my eyeballs at the same time.
“Are you staying at my place tonight, my little peach pie?” he asks as we move toward the exit.
“That’s the first and last time you’ll use that nickname if you don’t want to end up at the bottom of Lake Ontario.”
He nods. “You’re so damn sweet, honey.”
I dig my nails into his side, and he smiles down at me.
If today is anything to go by, the next few weeks will be an epic test of my patience. And my questionable acting skills.