If We Were Perfect - Ana Huang Page 0,35

more appreciative glance in Olivia’s direction. Sammy’s jaw tightened. “I totally get it now. She’s hot.”

“It was a long time ago.” Sammy should’ve gone for something stronger than beer, like tequila. Or bleach. Might as well just end it here and now. He’d rather cut his losses and join the afterlife early than suffer through another second of this conversation. “Not worth discussing.”

He’d made the mistake of telling his friends about Olivia when he’d returned from New York lost, heartbroken, and pissed beyond belief. Younger Sammy hadn’t been the type to keep his problems to himself. He’d needed to be around people in times of grief, to talk through his troubles and heal under their sympathy.

Now his earlier openness was coming back to bite him in the ass.

“Yeah, but she’s your roommate now.” Aaron’s good-natured teasing melted, replaced with concern. “Look, I know it’s been a while since you guys broke up, but I remember how heartbroken you were. It was pretty pathetic, not gonna lie, which was sad in college but would be even more pathetic now that you’re a grown-ass man. So don’t do anything stupid, ‘kay?”

“Thanks for the sage advice,” Sammy said sarcastically. “But I’m over it.” He grabbed a paper plate and arranged one of the freshly grilled patties on a hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato, onions, a few strips of bacon, and a slice of cheese. “Our living arrangement is temporary. She was in a tough spot and I helped her out.” He briefly explained Olivia’s apartment problem. “She’ll move after she finds a new place.”

“What if she doesn’t find one?” Aaron asked.

“Then it’s only for the summer. She goes back to school in the fall.” Sammy bit into his burger. Incredible. Aaron could be an annoying little shit, but his grilling prowess was out of this world. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Can I come over to watch a game one day?” Trey asked hopefully. “If not PJs or a T-shirt, she walks around in her underwear, right?”

“No, and no.”

Trey’s face fell. “So much for being a good friend,” he grumbled.

“You’d have better luck with Cherie.” Aaron tilted his head toward the pretty blonde. “She’s been making eyes at you all day.”

Trey perked up faster than a dog spotting a bone. “Really? Sweet.” The former football player left without another word and bulldozed his way across the backyard toward his target.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Aaron said when Sammy shot him a look. “She has been staring at him, but I’m not sure if it’s because she’s attracted to him or because he’s wearing the world’s loudest T-shirt.”

Sammy took in Trey’s bright red, white, and blue shirt—designed to look like a fireworks explosion—and snickered.

Now that the burgers were done, Aaron moved on to the hot dogs. The meat sizzled as it hit the grill, and mouthwatering aromas thickened the air once more. “Seriously, though. Be careful with Olivia. Last I checked, she’s got some strange voodoo magic over you.”

Sammy finished his beer. “I can handle her. Don’t worry.”

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of food, laughter, and pool games, including a traumatizing round of Marco Polo during which a mortified Sammy accidentally groped Aaron’s aunt’s breasts while he was “it.”

He’d apologized profusely, but the woman had merely winked and made it clear she was not at all opposed to his groping—or anything else he might want to do to her.

Sammy hadn’t been able to look her in the eye since.

Thankfully, Aaron had been busy arguing with another guest about the 49ers’ prospects in the upcoming football season and had missed the entire episode. Otherwise, the incident would’ve been even more awkward, if that were possible.

As the sun sank beneath the horizon and the free-flowing alcohol worked its way through the guests’ systems, music soared, inhibitions dropped, and the singles paired up faster than animals lining up for Noah’s Ark.

When an impromptu dance party broke out, Sammy found himself squished between Cherie and—dear God—Aaron’s aunt, both of whom were drunk out of their minds.

“Are you single?” Cherie threw her arms around his neck and ground her hips against his. “You are so cute.”

“Good musculature. Nice, strong shoulders,” Aaron’s aunt—what was her name? Gail? Gwen? Something with a G and four letters—added, sounding like she was describing a horse up for auction. She rubbed his shoulders for emphasis.

With the way Cherie was grinding against him, Sammy was forced back against Gail/Gwen’s bikini-clad body, which was just so wrong. The older woman wasn’t unattractive,