Cheesy on the Eyes by Teagan Hunter Page 0,26

my houseboat tonight and tinker with the motor you’re contractually obligated to get running?

Thea: Sorry. Busy. Can’t.

Sully: -_____-

Sully: How’s 7 work?

Thea: You’re down on the docks near the shop, right?

Sully: Yep. I’m kind of in the middle, and there’s a flag hanging off the back of the boat. You can’t miss it.

Sully: I’ll see you at 7?

Thea: We’ll see.

I’ve spent the last two days trying not to think about my new boyfriend or the way my heart started to race whenever he called me babe.

We agreed nothing serious. This is all fake, so I chalked my sudden palpations up to nothing more than the lack of male attention I’ve had lately.

But I’d be a fool to try to deny that the butterflies in my stomach right now have something to do with him seeing as they haven’t settled since Sully’s name popped up on my cell.

Or maybe it’s all the lying to my family I know I’m about to do.

I didn’t lie to him, though.

This is the dumbest idea I’ve ever had. I have no idea why I didn’t just say Sully was a friend or my date for the wedding. No, I had to go straight for the big guns.

Boyfriend.

But when my mom looked at me with those expectant eyes, with that expression that said, Please tell me this is your boyfriend—the one I already lied about having—I did, because I cannot bring myself to crush my mother’s heart. She’s over the moon about Jonas getting married and knocking Frankie up. The last thing I want to do is dampen her spirits.

As much as I love my parents and their almost sickeningly sweet love story that’s spanned thirty-some-odd years, I’ll be the first to admit it’s hard to live up to. I’m sure they aren’t trying to push me to settle down right this second, but I can see it in their eyes: they want Jonas and me to find our version of what they have.

Now that my little brother has found his person, it’s all eyes on me. They’ve been giving me that Your turn look since Jonas announced his engagement earlier this summer. Asshole.

Their interest in my love life is well intentioned, but it’s started to wear on me. Mom’s taken to asking me about all the guys I went to high school with and if they’re still single way too often. My father keeps mentioning how he knows my work schedule must be a strain on my social life. I know they’re talking about me and my lack of bringing home a guy to meet the family behind my back.

When Jonas’ wedding was set for after February, I knew I’d have time to figure it all out. Now that it’s moved up…well, pseudo-hiring a boyfriend will have to do, no matter how crazy it is.

It doesn’t hurt that Sully is really easy on the eyes, and that’s why I’m a ball of nerves walking down the docks to his houseboat.

Still, no matter how attractive I find him, I cannot and will not fall into bed with him.

No matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise, sex always complicates things.

I knew that getting ready for tonight, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t take me longer than I’d like to admit picking out something to wear. It’s extra ridiculous because I am so not that kind of girl normally.

I settled on my favorite pair of coral shorts and a simple, oversized white tee. I have my coveralls stuffed into my bag along with some tools in case I really have to get into things working on his motor.

I wipe my hands over my shorts, trying to kick the nerves, but it’s no use. My heart is still fluttering a mile a minute.

Is this a good idea? No.

Do I have any other choice after opening my big mouth before thinking? Also no.

Will I regret this? Almost certainly.

Though it’s a Tuesday night, it’s busy down on the docks. Charter boats are coming in from fishing all day and tourists are milling about, looking at the big docked vessels or trying to catch a glimpse of the sea life that tends to pop up near here from time to time.

I squeeze past some guys unloading fishing gear, and then I see it—the flag Sully mentioned.

He’s right. You can’t miss it.

Attached to the end of his houseboat is a giant flag waving in the air that reads: I’m on a boat, MFer.

A laugh bubbles out of me just as Sully emerges