Serves Me Wright (Wright #9) - K.A. Linde Page 0,15
like that. We kind of…agreed to fake date.”
Annie looked skeptical. “Explain.”
“So, I have to go to my brother’s graduation, which my parents are being dumb about. You know how they are.”
She nodded. “Sure.”
She wasn’t around them much, but she’d heard the arguments.
“Anyway, he has a charity function that he planned with Ashleigh for the vineyard. And, well, Ashleigh was at the winery yesterday.”
“What?” Annie gasped.
“Uh, yeah…and Julian and I hid in his office to escape her. But she found us anyway, and he kissed me.”
“He kissed you?!”
“It was fake,” I said, waving her away.
“No. Way! He’s into you.”
“Shush! Let me finish. It made Ashleigh angry, and he thinks having a date there will do the same thing again. But he’s not ready to date, and I’m not dating either. So, we’re going to go as each other’s dates to help one about out.”
Annie crossed her arms and looked at me with a sly smile. “Remember how Jordan and I were all we’re not into each other and we just like sex? Friends with benefits? Blah, blah. That was a lie to get together.”
“This is not like you and Jordan. The two of you couldn’t keep your clothes on the first day you met each other.”
“Whatever.” Annie dismissed the idea so easily. “I will put money on it.”
“We’re not betting on my love life.”
“So, it is a love life?” Annie’s eyes twinkled.
“Sometimes I hate you.”
She cackled. “I know. I’m rooting for y’all.”
“Thanks. But seriously, we’re just friends.”
“You owe me a Coke if you turn out to be more.”
I shook my head. “I’ll give you a whole twelve-pack. He’s not into me.”
Annie’s smile went full Cheshire. “Oh, I’m in.”
Part of me hoped that she was right, but the rest of me knew that hope only made the disappointment hurt worse.
8
Jennifer
Bertha’s trunk snapped shut with a thunk.
“That’ll do it,” I said with a smile as Julian looked on in dismay. “What?”
“Nothing,” he said quickly.
Bertha was my hooptie white Honda Civic. She had intermittent AC issues, no automatic locks or windows, and lacked cruise control. I’d had her since high school. We’d had our ups and downs, but I couldn’t give her up. We were a pair.
I opened my driver’s side door and reached across the console to pop the lock her Julian. He slipped into the passenger side as I revved the engine.
By revved, it was really more of praying and clicking the engine over until it caught.
“Phew, okay,” I said with a smile. “Bertha has her moments.”
“You want to drive this to Austin?”
I glanced over at him. “Why not?”
“No reason,” he said with a smirk.
It was uncomfortable how attractive he was. His dark hair was styled artfully, short on the sides and a little longer on the top. His toned body was hidden underneath a cerulean-blue polo and khakis that ended a few good inches above his knee, revealing his muscular quads. I realized I was staring and returned my attention to Bertha.
I flipped the air-conditioning on and prayed to a higher being that it would turn on. It had been going out for years. It probably needed to be repaired, but I could get a whole new car for the cost to replace the AC unit.
Unfortunately, it didn’t come on.
“Fuck,” I ground out. I banged on the top of the console. “Turn on, you piece of shit. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
This time, Julian couldn’t keep it together. “I don’t know that I’ve ever heard you cuss.”
I blushed. “I use it to color conversation, not to make conversation.”
He chuckled. “Does yelling at Bertha usually make her work?”
“Yes,” I said, hitting the car again. When the AC didn’t kick on, I sank back into the driver’s seat with a huff. “She usually works…eventually.”
“You know, I could drive us.”
I glared at him. “Do you have a problem with Bertha?”
He held his hands up. “Absolutely not. I have a problem with driving six hours through Texas without AC…in May.”
“It builds character,” I quipped.
He quirked a smile at me. “You did say you wanted to make an impression.”
I glanced over at the fancy new sports car he’d parked in my driveway. It was a silver Jaguar convertible that had to have come straight off a conveyor belt. I’d never owned anything that new or shiny in my entire life. Neither had my parents. It probably would be more comfortable, plus the bonus of working air-conditioning.
I sighed. “Fine.”
Julian chuckled and nudged me. “Don’t act like I held you at gunpoint to make this decision.”