Rules of Contact
Page 30
“So just purses, then, right?”
Laura slid her a lopsided grin. “You are such an enabler, Amelia.”
“That’s why you made me your best friend in college. Because I was the one who said, ‘Go ahead and have another Jell-O shot.’”
“And because you held my hair when I paid the consequences for said extra Jell-O shots.”
Amelia laughed. “True. And on that revolting note, let’s go get some lunch. I’m starving.”
“Me, too.”
They ended up deciding on Thai food. A restaurant they both loved was nearby, and they were seated at a window table. It was always nice to have a day off on a busy workday. There was something about enjoying the hustle of everyone else having to work while you didn’t.
Amelia sipped her tea. “How’s work?”
“Intense as hell. How about you?”
“The same.”
“How’s the hot boss?”
She hovered over her straw for a few seconds before taking a sip, then answered. “Fine, I guess.”
Laura cocked her head to the side. “That was interesting.”
“What?”
“That pause before you answered.”
“It was hardly a pause, and I was taking a drink.”
“Uh-huh. Tell me what’s going on with sexy football player boss.”
She shifted in her seat. “Nothing’s going on. Okay, maybe something. But not really anything because I work for him.”
Laura cocked a brow. “Do tell.”
“Let’s not tell. In fact, let’s forget I even said anything.”
Laura changed chairs so she now sat right next to Amelia. “What the hell, Amelia? Did you two have sex?”
“What? Of course not. What made you think that?”
“You are so lying to me. You had sex with him.”
Dammit. The greatest thing about having a best friend was they knew everything about you. The worst thing about having a best friend was them being able to read the subtlest change in your body language. Amelia had never been able to hide a thing from Laura. Not in college when she’d had that ridiculous crush on her humanities professor, and not now.
“Fine. We had sex. But just once and it’s not happening again.”
“Why? Was he bad at it?”
She laid her chin in her hand. “God, no. It was amazing.”
“Did he take the tongue train down to your southern lands? Because any man who doesn’t do that isn’t worth a second ride.”
She choked out a laugh at the train metaphor, one she used all too often herself. “Why, yes. As a matter of fact, he did. And it was a mind-blowing trip.”
“Excellent. So why wouldn’t you want another ride?”
“Obvious reasons. He’s my boss and there’s a conflict of interest there.”
Laura waved her hand in dismissal. “Only if you make it one.”
“Come on. He’s my boss. I work for him. You know how complicated that could be. I like my new job and I don’t want to lose it.”
“Have you talked to him about your concerns?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then you should. Before you put an end to something that hasn’t even started yet.”
She shook her head. “Not to mention I’m freshly divorced and not looking for a relationship.”
“First, you’re not so freshly divorced, and second, who says you have to marry the guy? Just hook up with him. He’s hot and sexy and obviously great in bed. So what are you waiting for?”
She had no idea. “I don’t know, Laura. I’m just . . . hesitant.”
“Quit hesitating. Frank was a dick and you hung in there for about two years longer than you should have. You were miserable and heartbroken by the time you got out of that marriage. And ever since then you’ve been focusing on changing cities, changing careers and getting settled. Don’t you think you’re due for some fun?”
When she put it that way, Amelia realized Laura was right. She’d taken her life—herself—all too seriously these past couple of years. It was time to let go and enjoy herself. And what better way to do that than with someone like Flynn? He was a fun guy.
She could be fun, too. She lifted her gaze to Laura. “I can be fun.”
Laura grinned. “I know you can. I think you just forgot how. So it’s damn time you remember. Tell me what you have set up with him next, and I don’t want to hear ‘nothing.’”
“Actually, I’m having dinner with Flynn and his sister tonight.”
Laura’s brows rose. “Meeting the family already, huh?”
“It’s not like that. His little sister is in town for a visit. I met her at the restaurant yesterday. She wants to spend some time with me.”
“Because . . .”
“No reason.”
Laura slanted a look her way.
“Okay fine. She overheard Flynn and me arguing outside last night.”
“About?”
“Work stuff. And I might have mentioned us sleeping together during that conversation and Mia overheard that part.”
“Oops.”
Amelia nodded. “Yeah. So she knows there’s something going on between us. But mainly I think it’s because she liked my cooking.”
Laura gave her a knowing smile. “If she’s like most nosy sisters, she probably wants more details about you and Flynn. She wants to check you out, make sure you’re legit and you aren’t out to hurt her brother.”
“You seriously think that?”
“Of course I do. You remember what it was like when things got serious between Jon and me. His sister Rebecca interrogated the hell out of me for four hours over dinner one night.”
“That’s different. You and Jon were getting serious. Flynn and I are—”
Laura stared at her. “You and Flynn are what?”
“That’s just it. We’re nothing. We had sex. Once. We work together. It’s a fling.”
“A fling that could either get messy complicated, or could get serious.”
She sighed. “It’s not going to get serious.”
Laura wagged a finger at her. “You can’t predict the future, Amelia. You might believe right now that you’re headed down Flingstown Road with Flynn, but you could end up making a sharp turn onto Love Lane.”
Laura slid her a lopsided grin. “You are such an enabler, Amelia.”
“That’s why you made me your best friend in college. Because I was the one who said, ‘Go ahead and have another Jell-O shot.’”
“And because you held my hair when I paid the consequences for said extra Jell-O shots.”
Amelia laughed. “True. And on that revolting note, let’s go get some lunch. I’m starving.”
“Me, too.”
They ended up deciding on Thai food. A restaurant they both loved was nearby, and they were seated at a window table. It was always nice to have a day off on a busy workday. There was something about enjoying the hustle of everyone else having to work while you didn’t.
Amelia sipped her tea. “How’s work?”
“Intense as hell. How about you?”
“The same.”
“How’s the hot boss?”
She hovered over her straw for a few seconds before taking a sip, then answered. “Fine, I guess.”
Laura cocked her head to the side. “That was interesting.”
“What?”
“That pause before you answered.”
“It was hardly a pause, and I was taking a drink.”
“Uh-huh. Tell me what’s going on with sexy football player boss.”
She shifted in her seat. “Nothing’s going on. Okay, maybe something. But not really anything because I work for him.”
Laura cocked a brow. “Do tell.”
“Let’s not tell. In fact, let’s forget I even said anything.”
Laura changed chairs so she now sat right next to Amelia. “What the hell, Amelia? Did you two have sex?”
“What? Of course not. What made you think that?”
“You are so lying to me. You had sex with him.”
Dammit. The greatest thing about having a best friend was they knew everything about you. The worst thing about having a best friend was them being able to read the subtlest change in your body language. Amelia had never been able to hide a thing from Laura. Not in college when she’d had that ridiculous crush on her humanities professor, and not now.
“Fine. We had sex. But just once and it’s not happening again.”
“Why? Was he bad at it?”
She laid her chin in her hand. “God, no. It was amazing.”
“Did he take the tongue train down to your southern lands? Because any man who doesn’t do that isn’t worth a second ride.”
She choked out a laugh at the train metaphor, one she used all too often herself. “Why, yes. As a matter of fact, he did. And it was a mind-blowing trip.”
“Excellent. So why wouldn’t you want another ride?”
“Obvious reasons. He’s my boss and there’s a conflict of interest there.”
Laura waved her hand in dismissal. “Only if you make it one.”
“Come on. He’s my boss. I work for him. You know how complicated that could be. I like my new job and I don’t want to lose it.”
“Have you talked to him about your concerns?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then you should. Before you put an end to something that hasn’t even started yet.”
She shook her head. “Not to mention I’m freshly divorced and not looking for a relationship.”
“First, you’re not so freshly divorced, and second, who says you have to marry the guy? Just hook up with him. He’s hot and sexy and obviously great in bed. So what are you waiting for?”
She had no idea. “I don’t know, Laura. I’m just . . . hesitant.”
“Quit hesitating. Frank was a dick and you hung in there for about two years longer than you should have. You were miserable and heartbroken by the time you got out of that marriage. And ever since then you’ve been focusing on changing cities, changing careers and getting settled. Don’t you think you’re due for some fun?”
When she put it that way, Amelia realized Laura was right. She’d taken her life—herself—all too seriously these past couple of years. It was time to let go and enjoy herself. And what better way to do that than with someone like Flynn? He was a fun guy.
She could be fun, too. She lifted her gaze to Laura. “I can be fun.”
Laura grinned. “I know you can. I think you just forgot how. So it’s damn time you remember. Tell me what you have set up with him next, and I don’t want to hear ‘nothing.’”
“Actually, I’m having dinner with Flynn and his sister tonight.”
Laura’s brows rose. “Meeting the family already, huh?”
“It’s not like that. His little sister is in town for a visit. I met her at the restaurant yesterday. She wants to spend some time with me.”
“Because . . .”
“No reason.”
Laura slanted a look her way.
“Okay fine. She overheard Flynn and me arguing outside last night.”
“About?”
“Work stuff. And I might have mentioned us sleeping together during that conversation and Mia overheard that part.”
“Oops.”
Amelia nodded. “Yeah. So she knows there’s something going on between us. But mainly I think it’s because she liked my cooking.”
Laura gave her a knowing smile. “If she’s like most nosy sisters, she probably wants more details about you and Flynn. She wants to check you out, make sure you’re legit and you aren’t out to hurt her brother.”
“You seriously think that?”
“Of course I do. You remember what it was like when things got serious between Jon and me. His sister Rebecca interrogated the hell out of me for four hours over dinner one night.”
“That’s different. You and Jon were getting serious. Flynn and I are—”
Laura stared at her. “You and Flynn are what?”
“That’s just it. We’re nothing. We had sex. Once. We work together. It’s a fling.”
“A fling that could either get messy complicated, or could get serious.”
She sighed. “It’s not going to get serious.”
Laura wagged a finger at her. “You can’t predict the future, Amelia. You might believe right now that you’re headed down Flingstown Road with Flynn, but you could end up making a sharp turn onto Love Lane.”
