Complicated Girl Read Free Page B

go.
    He looks down at my chest with interest. This low cut shirt I borrowed from my mother’s closet is really pulling some interest today.
    Huskily, he says, “How long do pleasantries usually last?”
    I clear my throat and try to look coy. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who goes to self-help groups to pick up chicks with low self esteem.”
    “What if I am? That sounds like a lot more fun than my usual Tuesday nights, which involve earplugs. Would you like it if I was that kind of guy?”
    His words stir conflicting emotions in me. I’m definitely in a pit of low self esteem, and I’d love to have Drew’s gorgeous arms reach down and pull me out. I can’t see his arms through his suit jacket, but I know they’re bound to be as perfect as the rest of him.
    He sips his coffee again, wincing at the taste. “What is this, chicory?”
    “My sister says all coffee tastes like a goat’s backside, even the good stuff.”
    He glances over at the group, then back at me. The gesture makes me feel like I’m the most interesting person in the room. He keeps gazing into my eyes, until I feel like the most interesting person in the whole world.
    “You have a sister? What’s that like?”
    “I love my sister. She’s also my best friend.” I unscrew the cap from my orange juice bottle and raise it to my mouth.
    He licks his lips, then says, “If your sister’s half as pretty as you, she must be a knockout.”
    I choke on his compliment. Literally. The orange juice in my mouth has nowhere to go. I expel the juice from my mouth, spraying it all over Drew’s crisp jacket and equally crisp dress shirt.
    He doesn’t back away or flinch. He nods his head down to one side, sticks out his tongue, and licks a few beads of orange juice from his shoulder.
    “A much better choice than the coffee,” he says.
    “That juice was in my mouth.”
    “Should I be worried? Where else has your mouth been?”
    A warm sensation creeps up my body and through my neck. The warm feeling extends to my cheeks. Am I sick? What’s happening? Oh my goodness, I’m blushing. It’s such an unusual sensation. I never blush.
    This guy is making me blush, with his sexy smoldering brown eyes, and his innuendo about where my mouth has been.
    He doesn’t seem at all concerned about the orange juice that’s settling into his expensive suit. His gaze doesn’t stray much from my face, except to move down to my cleavage and then back up again. He’s watching me like he’s a bounty hunter and I’ve got a million-dollar contract on my head.
    I casually bring the orange juice back up to my lips and take another drink. I’m careful to swallow this time. I finish the whole bottle, and he takes the empty from my hand.
    “Mouth clear?” he asks.
    “All out of ammunition.” I open my mouth and stick out my tongue to show him.
    “Good, because I have a request.” Staring steadily into my eyes, he says, “I’d like to get my hands on your buns.”
    “Tonight?”
    “Right now.”
    Now, I’m not an idiot. I know he’s making a joke based on the cinnamon buns, but I also know he’s making a play for my other buns. Cute as he is, this needs to stop right here. I’m not as stupid as I used to be.
    “Listen, Drew. You are an attractive man, and I’m definitely suffering from low self-esteem right now. Part of me is screaming yes, but my brain is saying no.”
    He keeps listening.
    I shake my head emphatically. “I’m not into hookups. A few years ago, sure. I would have trotted right out of here with any cute guy who showed interest. But what I’ve learned is that guys like you are… terrible at sex. Just terrible.”
    The smile drops off his face instantly. “Guys like me? What do you mean?”
    “You good-looking guys make a sport out of sleeping with as many girls as they can. You’re all about the quantity, not the quality. Oh, you’ll buy a quality suit, and a quality car, and one day you’ll get married to a quality woman