Hate to Date You (Dating #4) - Monica Murphy Page 0,6

my cup, drain the last of the coffee and slam it onto the tabletop, jostling the paper sleeve so that it falls off the cup, uncovering the writing that it hid.

Hope you don’t poop your pants, it says, accompanied by a perfectly sweet smiley face.

Smiling, I stare at Stella’s loopy, feminine handwriting. I should be offended, right? Maybe? But I’m not.

I’m kind of charmed.

Would it be so terrible, living with Stella? Nah. Though it would be a real test to my self-control. She’s pure temptation. Even seeing her here now at Sweet Dreams, working hard behind the counter, glaring at me every chance she can get, I’m drawn to her.

But it would be temporary. A short period in my life so I can get back on my feet, figure out what I want to do and make my next move.

“Meet us for dinner tonight,” Caroline says as we both rise to our feet, making our way to the front door. “We want to go to that one place with the terrace that overlooks the street.”

“Close to the beach?” I’ve heard of it, but never been. And thank God my sister didn’t suggest Tuscany. That restaurant is full of all sorts of memories, almost all of them starring Stella.

“Yes.” She nods. “Seven o’clock. What do you say?”

“Sure,” I shrug, then glance over my shoulder to find Stella watching us. I lift my hand in acknowledgement and she scratches her forehead, subtly giving me the finger.

Laughing, I make my way out of Sweet Dreams with my sister on my heels.

“What’s so funny?” she asks.

My laughter dies, but my sudden good mood doesn’t. “Nothing. I’ll see you tonight.”

Four

Stella

I show up at the Treehouse Café a little after seven, cursing inwardly that I’m late. I’m a punctual person. It’s almost a fault of mine, just how on time I am to everything I need to be at. My family? They’re always late. My mother, my father, my brothers. They’re a half hour late almost every single time. It’s gotten to the point that I tell them an event is happening thirty minutes earlier, just so I can guarantee they’ll be on time.

Once I was done with work, I went upstairs to my apartment, took a shower, and fell asleep in my unmade bed, all snuggled up and cozy under the blankets and wearing only my panties and bra. I woke up around six-thirty, my hair still damp and a tangled mess, drool dried on the side of my cheek. I only had to go down a couple of blocks to get to the restaurant, which took maybe ten minutes, tops, but I had to get myself presentable first, and that took a while.

I enter the restaurant and am led outside by the hostess. It’s dark, the breeze from the ocean chilly. There are patio heaters set among the tables to keep everyone warm, though I’m grateful I brought a thin sweater. Glancing around, I spot Alex and Caroline as I follow behind the hostess who’s chattering away about how no one wants to sit inside tonight. I nod and smile when she looks at me from over her shoulder, stopping dead in my tracks when I see my friend and her fiancé sitting at a table. They’re not alone.

Carter is with them. The seat beside him is empty, and I realize I’ve been set up.

I’m going to murder my best friend in her sleep. She’ll never know what hit her.

But then I think of the consequences, and prison time doesn’t sound fun, so I silently vow I won’t do bodily harm to her.

Putting on a pained smile when Caroline spots me and waves me over, I tell the hostess I’ve got it, and make my way to their table, stopping so I’m standing right in front of it. “Hey guys.”

“Hey,” Caroline says as her fiancé stands and presses the quickest kiss on my cheek. Alex has become rather affectionate with everyone lately, and I think it’s because he’s so over-the-top in love with Caroline.

“You look nice,” he tells me as he settles into his chair once more and I sit across from him. “New dress?”

I glance down at the dress I’m wearing. It’s simple and black, and yes, it’s new. “It is. Thank you.” I keep my gaze straight ahead, though I angle my body slightly toward Carter. “I didn’t realize you’d be joining us.”

“I didn’t know you’d be with us either,” Carter says, and I can hear the surprise in his voice, so