Flirting with Forever: A Hot Romantic Comedy(22)

She came in and plopped down into one of the extra chairs. “Mondays, am I right? Is it just me or do you dread our weekly meetings?”

“I didn’t used to but yes, there’s always some dread involved.” I sighed. “Sex in public. Riveting topic.”

“It could be worse.”

I tilted my head. “Could it?”

“Sure. April has me working on a piece from Jenna about alternative beauty treatments,” she said, making air quotes. “At least you don’t have to get a snail facial.”

“Is that what it sounds like?”

She nodded. “Snails crawling on your face. Do snails crawl? Or do they slither? I don’t know, whatever word you use, it’s a facial involving snail slime.”

I winced. “That’s disgusting.”

“See? Could be worse. And at least you know your article will be clickable. Gotta love our bonuses.” She grinned.

That was what it was all about. Clicks. Racy topics and provocative headlines, all to get as many eyeballs as possible. Clicks meant advertising revenue for Glamour Gal and bonuses for us. That was one thing I couldn’t complain about. The bonus structure was generous for everyone.

And Tala was right. A sex in public article by yours truly would generate plenty of clicks.

“Anyway,” she said. “How was your weekend?”

“It was fine. Still unpacking.” And plotting ways to show my strangely reluctant neighbor what he was missing. “What about you? Wait, didn’t you have a date? How did it go?”

She sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve been out with Pete a few times now and I’m just not sure.”

“Not sure about what?”

“For one thing, he’s always late. And I know we’re all glued to our phones nowadays, but he was texting all through dinner.”

“Oh, hell no.” I sat up straighter and brushed my hair over my shoulder. “Darling, when a man is out with you, you should be his focus. There’s nothing on his phone that’s better or more important than you.”

She nodded along. “Yeah.”

“You have to know your worth. A high value man knows how to treat a woman well, in public and in private. If he can’t be bothered to pay attention to you now, when you’re just getting to know each other, what’s he going to be like down the road? Or in bed?”

“That’s such a good point. I love talking to you. You’re like the guru of dating.”

I smiled. “I just hate seeing women sell themselves short for a man who isn’t worthy of them.”

“What about you? Have you met a man who’s worthy of you lately?”

An interesting question. Was Dex worthy of me? My body certainly thought so. “My new neighbor is inexplicably hot but I don’t see anything happening there.” I shrugged, maintaining an air of casual disinterest. I wasn’t about to admit to a coworker, even a friendly one like Tala, that he’d turned me down. “At least he’s nice to look at. And he has the sweetest thirteen-year-old daughter. I just love her.”

“Ooh, sexy single dad next door? That is hot. I bet you could spin that into an article.”

“Maybe, although I don’t think April would be impressed with an article about the surprising things one finds sexy in a neighbor. Like watching him mow the lawn.”

“Also hot.”

“It really was.” I tapped my finger against my lips. “And he’s not even my type.”

“When it comes to raw physical attraction, I don’t know if type matters.” She stood and smoothed out her blouse. “I should get back to Jenna’s article. And thanks for the advice. I’m not going to bother seeing him again. I’ll wait for a man who’s worthy. And who’ll love Frannie and Freddie.”

“I’m sorry, who?”

“My ferrets. They’re my babies. I’m so glad I hadn’t introduced them to Pete yet. So much less awkward this way.”

I nodded slowly. I wasn’t quite sure what to say to that.

“Chat with you later,” she said with a smile, then turned and left.

I spent the rest of the morning at the office, trying to find ways to make the article interesting. I did some research on the psychology of exhibitionism, although I had a feeling that wasn’t the angle April was going to want. Whatever I wrote was likely to be edited into something like the top ten ways to have sex in public without getting caught.

Lunchtime rolled around and I closed my laptop. I was meeting my besties for lunch and I didn’t want to be late.

The restaurant was a short drive from my office. I found a parking space a block away and went inside.

I pulled off my sunglasses and smiled at the hostess. “I’m meeting friends. Ah, there they are.”

My three best friends were already there, at a table in the bar. Sophie’s face lit up when she caught sight of me and she waved, as if I needed her to flag me down so I’d go to the right table. Her mass of blond curls were a little wild—as usual—and she had a slight flush to her cheeks. She’d recently found out she was pregnant with her first baby and she and her husband, Cox, were thrilled.

Hazel’s straight brown hair was down and she pushed her glasses up her nose as she turned around. The two of us couldn’t have been more different if we’d tried but we’d been best friends since we were fourteen. She was scholarly and brilliant, if a little bit literal. It was hard to believe she’d been married to Corban Nash, her former enemy, for two years already.