So until there was proof of actual wrongdoing, Lynn wasn’t about to give Suz any more ammo against Phil, especially since Suz had the tendency to make impulsive decisions based on very few facts. Lynn didn’t operate that way. She needed to think things through before deciding how to handle this Phil situation.
“Even if he was interested in me,” she said, “I’m not in a position to get involved with anyone. Especially not a hot stranger I randomly met at yoga.”
Her friend instantly pounced. “Aha! So you do think he’s hot.”
“Well, duh. The guy was totally, what did you call it? Lickable.” She reversed out of the parking space, glancing over her shoulder to check her blind spot.
Okay, fine. Glancing over her shoulder to see if Parker was still in the lot.
But he wasn’t, and she felt like an idiot for even checking.
With a sigh, she shoved all thoughts of the delectable Parker from her head and concentrated on driving, while Suz chattered her ear off for the five minutes it took to reach her friend’s building. By the time she came to a stop at the curb out front, she was eager to say goodbye to Suz so she could go home and clear her head.
“Later, hon.” Suz slid closer and smacked a kiss on Lynn’s cheek. “Yoga again tomorrow after work? In case the hottie makes another appearance?”
She rolled her eyes. “How about we stick to our usual Tuesday-and-Thursday routine and not let our exercise schedule revolve around hotties?”
“Fine, be that way. What about drinks? We haven’t done Tequila Wednesdays in a while…”
“Maybe. I might have to stop in at my folks’.”
“Let me know.” With a little wave, Suz hopped out of the car and skipped toward the main entrance of her low-rise building.
As Lynn watched her friend’s lively gait, she marveled over the woman’s energy. How Suz wasn’t exhausted after a long day of work followed by sweltering yoga was a complete mystery. She, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to get home, draw a scented bath, and spend the rest of the evening lazing around. But first she had to make a quick stop for groceries. Her stomach had been rumbling since the class had ended, and her fridge was pitifully empty. She desperately needed to do some restocking, otherwise she’d be stuck eating ramen noodles for the third night in a row.
She was just pulling into a parking space in front of the Fresh Mart when her cell phone vibrated in her purse. She warily fished it out, checking the screen as she put the car in park. With her aging parents’ health concerns, she couldn’t risk missing a call from them, but nope, it was an incoming call from Phil.
For the life of her, she couldn’t muster enough enthusiasm to answer. Instead, she shoved the phone back in her purse and hopped out of the car.
Her purse buzzed for a second time as she strode through the automatic doors of the grocery store. She ignored it again.
It occurred to her that she wasn’t as angry as she should be. Weren’t women supposed to flip out when they discovered their partners were cheating? Wasn’t she supposed to throw things and curse the heavens and plot her boyfriend’s death?
And if her relationship had actually meant something, why had she spent her evening lusting over another man?
The image of Parker floated to mind, and now that she was alone without Suz to witness it, her body reacted to the drool-worthy hottie who’d captured her attention. She pictured his broad, rippled chest, remembering how his muscles had flexed enticingly with his every move, the beads of sweat clinging to his defined pecs.
Had he really been sporting a hard-on? She hadn’t noticed, but now she couldn’t stop thinking about how sexy that was. Her mind conjured up the memory of the board shorts hugging his trim hips, and when she pictured a hard ridge of arousal straining beneath them, her core instantly clenched.
“Welcome to Fresh Mart! I hope you enjoy your shopping experience!”
The bubbly voice jerked her from her dirty thoughts and brought the heat of embarrassment to her cheeks. “Uh, thanks,” she muttered to the teenage employee who’d popped in front of her face like a jack-in-the-box.
Her phone vibrated for a third time, but she gritted her teeth and pretended not to hear it. Phil could wait.
And so could his lies and excuses.
“She went to Adams High in Marin County,” Dean said, his gaze focused on his cell phone screen. “And she designed the school yearbook in her senior year. Means she’s good at art, right? And maybe computers, too.”
Parker nodded absently. Normally he enjoyed piecing together details to create a usable profile, but tonight he was having a bitch of a time concentrating. His thoughts kept straying to the beautiful woman in the car ahead of them. Christ, he was dying to catch another glimpse of those mesmerizing silver-blue eyes.
“Holy shit, man,” Dean blurted out. “I’m looking at the faculty bios for Adams High, and I totally slept with the girls’ volleyball coach. Small fucking world, huh?”
There was a smacking sound, and Parker glanced over at the passenger seat to see his buddy sucking on a piece of licorice.
The same shade of red as Lynn’s pouty lips.