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Me: I just want you to know that your bff is artistic and smart.
Lincoln: Oh really...
Me: I also have a lot of self control.
Lincoln: Ok, who is this? Who took Ari Lancaster’s phone?
Me: No, I'm serious. Blake was right in front of me and I totally controlled all my impulses. And I was waxing poetic about her. So see...artistic and smart.
Lincoln: I'm afraid to ask this question, but exactly what impulses were you controlling?
Me: Absconding her to a deserted island, of course.
Lincoln: This is how I know you're not as smart as you think you are, bud.
Me: Scoff. What?!!!!
Lincoln: If given the chance to "abscond" the girl...the answer is always yes.
Me: ...
Lincoln: ...
Me: I will keep that in mind.
As I got into my car, I imagined doing just that.
I would definitely be keeping that in mind.
CHAPTER4
BLAKE
Three never-ending days had crawled by since the gorgeous stranger at the restaurant had set my world on fire. Meanwhile, Clark had turned into a human emoji, answering my texts with nothing but 'yes' and 'no', his frantic texting from the weeks before completely gone.
I didn’t even know what the stranger’s name was. It would have been easy to find out, but I was trying to stay as far away from temptation as possible. Getting his name would have made it hard to do that. I knew that because even without his name, his smoldering gaze and electrifying presence refused to leave my thoughts.
My day had been a relentless grind, made even worse by a call from my agent saying I didn’t get yetanotherjob I’d been after, and then a scathing text from Maura wanting to know when I was going to stop being a “pathetic nothing” and come home.
I couldn't help but think the universe was coming after me, punishing me for getting all hot and bothered over a guy besides my sweet boyfriend.
I was teetering on the edge when I finally trudged home after my grueling shift at the restaurant where I’d had my ass grabbed no less than three times. Upscale didn’t mean better behavior.
But I’d known that already from living with the Shepfields.
I stopped outside my apartment door, sighing as I listened to the booming music coming from within.
My roommate, Charlotte, was evidently home. And my energy level was nowhere where it needed to be to handle her.
Stepping into our apartment was like entering a whirlwind. Charlotte was dancing to T Swift’s “Karma”, while Waldo barked and jumped around her frantically. I stopped in the doorway and took in what I was seeing. Charlotte was a fireball, her personality perfectly matching her long, fiery auburn hair and hazel eyes. The exact opposite of my shy, unsure one. She was another model with my agency, someone I hadn’t known before the move. So far I’d been pleasantly surprised by her though, if overwhelmed. She was the kind of person who could light up a room with her infectious energy, while I seemed to drain the energy out of them.
Maybe we were perfect for each other.
As soon as she saw me, she let out a shrill scream and ran towards me, waving a pair of tickets like she’d won the lottery. I reached down to hug Waldo, a good way to prevent her from jumping on me as well as giving my perfect doggie some love.
"Blake, you won't believe it!" She bounced on her toes. "I got tickets to the Cobras' opening night, and check this out!" She reached for something on the coffee table and soon brandished jerseys with “Lancaster” on the back, a mischievous grin dancing on her lips.
I usually excelled in turning down invitations. Nights out never ended how I wanted. I opened my mouth to deliver my usual blurb about exhaustion and a headache…but Charlotte was having none of it tonight.
