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My stomach flips at the thought of seeing him again. Quickly, I place one hand over it and remind myself to breathe. It's just Dylan.
Yeah, right. There's no ‘just' about Dylan James and there never has been.
Reluctantly, I pick my handbag up off the passenger seat and I'm about to push the car door open when my phone rings. Grateful for the distraction and excuse to delay, I dip into my bag and pull my mobile out. Seeing Kara's name flash on the screen, I immediately pick up. It's the first time all day that I've actually had the opportunity to take my friend's call.
“Where have you been, Claire?” Kara demands. “I've been trying to get a hold of you all day. I even swung by your place on the way home from Mum's this afternoon, but you weren't there.”
“No, I'm at my mum's. It's not like I didn't try to call you back.”
Kara groans. “I know. I got into it with Mum and didn't hear the phone.”
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“I'm fine. I called to find out how you are. Or rather, how your night went?”
“It went,” I say, going for cryptic.
“Damn it, woman, it's been a really sucky day so far. I need details. Don't make me beg.”
I smile before outlining the night's events, skimming over the more mature content since I don't want to share those moments or memories with anyone.
When I get to the portion of the story which involves the end of my evening with Dylan, Kara makes a noise of disgust. “You're kidding me, right? He did not just leave you like that.”
“He did,” I confirm. “And you would have been proud of me, Kar. I let him. I walked him to the front door and acted as cool as any of his one-night stands would have.”
“Oh, Claire.”
There is so much sadness in my friend's voice that my throat tightens and my eyes prickle from unshed tears.
“It's fine,” I promise Kara. “I'mfine.”
“Okay.”
Kara's tone is so disbelieving that irritation snakes through me.
“You're the one who told me to have fun – that I could do this. That Ishoulddo this.”
“I'm pretty sure I expressly said, ‘don't do it with Dylan James’.”
“I don't understand what the big deal is. He's the perfect guy to do this kind of thing with. All he's looking for is fun, and right now that's all I'm looking for, too.”
Kara sighs. “Maybe he would be the perfect guy for anyone else in your position, but not you, Claire.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“You don't do anything casually.”
“You told me to go out and have fun. You encouraged me to flirt with Sam the bartender. Why would you do that if you didn't think I could be casual about sex?”
“Because I didn't think the first man you'd jump into bed with would be the one you're in love with!” Kara says, sounding exasperated.
I swallow and blink. “Excuse me?”
Kara gives up a long-suffering sigh. “You love Dylan. You always have.”
“That's...that's ridiculous.”
“Then why does he get to you more than anyone else on the planet? Why do you talk about how much you hate him all the time? Why is it that the moment you thought he might like you, you were ready to proposition him?”
