Chronicles of a Serial Dater - Book 4: A New Adult Romantic Comedy Read Free Page B

and before I could get him to explain, he clarified. “Row means to argue. I’m not helping much by speaking another language, am I?” he smiled.
    “It’s all good. At least I’m learning.” I’m not sure why I opened up to him. Maybe because I felt a bit lonely. Without Zach, Anette, or Lourdes to confide in, I didn’t really have anyone else. “We don’t fight often, no. And this isn’t even all that serious but it’s just weighing on me. I’m easily distracted right now.”
    “And neither of you are right or wrong?”
    “Exactly.”
    Clint made an empathetic groan. “Ah, those are the worst. I’m happy to listen if you want to…”
    I let my gaze fall from his eyes to his mouth and then to my hands. I desperately wanted to talk it out with an impartial third party, but was cautiously aware of who he was. Deflecting with humor, I chuckled.
    “Maybe I need a little liquid lubrication to get my tongue going.” Jesus, it sounded so much better in my head. Clint’s eyebrows shot up and I quickly backpedaled. “Booze! I meant booze.”
    His nostrils flared as he tried not to snicker. “Something else lost in translation?” I held my head in my hands, wanting to melt into the chair, which drew his laugh out completely. “Aw, I’m sorry. I’m just teasing. Go on. What’s going wrong?”
    My defenses were down out of sheer embarrassment. I knew it was inappropriate to talk to him about, but I had to get him to forget about that ridiculous lube slip-up. God, see? I did it again!
    “Well, I guess it boils down to the fact that she thinks she has a say in how I live my life.” It sounded calm in my head, like a simple declarative sentence. I like toast. Water is wet. But when it left my lips, it was coated in a thick slime of anger.
    Clint held the side of his head, index finger pointing up his temple thoughtfully. “That only makes sense if your decisions are impacting her life. Are they?”
    “No!” I cleared my throat as I rolled a pen back and forth across the table. “No, not at all.”
    “But she seems to think they will?”
    “Apparently. But it’s more that she thinks I’m messing up my life or something.” I sighed, realizing how ridiculous this was all sounding without specifics. I couldn’t believe I was even talking to him about it.
    “You seem pretty well put together from where I’m sitting.”
    Holy shit. Did he mean for it to come out like that? I thought frantically. “Thanks, I, uh…”
    He leaned forward, the corner of the table separating us by a fraction. “Maybe I can help. Offer a second opinion. I’ve made a few epic mistakes in my life.”
    I danced around the subject, not wanting to reveal my blog or my relationship with Zach. This conversation had already skidded off the track and I desperately needed to steer us back on course. “I’ve been seeing a guy she doesn’t approve of,” I replied, almost apologetically.
    “Ah,” he said with a tone I couldn’t quite translate. It almost sounded disappointed which was confusing.
    “Not seeing exactly, just hanging out.” My clarification didn’t make it sound much better. A part of me wondered why I was so concerned with how he perceived me in the first place.
    He’d surprisingly gone stiff with the conversation and was hesitant to meet my eye. “Right, I see. Well, if she’s met this bloke before then maybe you should take her advice to heart.”
    “It’s not serious or anything,” I continued to defend.
    “Good,” he breathed before quickly adding. “I mean, you and Anette shouldn’t fall out over a guy you aren’t really into, ya know?”
    “She’s a lesbian-leaning omnisexual, so it’s not like I’ll take her advice about men.”
    He nodded slowly. I could tell he didn’t have a clue as to what that meant. “Right, so…”
    I considered his point as I thought about Zach. I didn’t want to lose either of them as friends. It wasn’t like I’d fallen in love with him. We could stop