“Yeah,” he said, leaning forward and unlocking the door. “You don’t keep grown men waiting for you and if you say that you get off at noon, then you better make sure you get off at noon.”
She rolled her eyes and slid behind the driver’s seat, ignoring him as usual. “Since we’re the only adults in the car…” she said to me as she cranked the engine. “Um…Hello? Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”
“No…” I turned away and faced the windshield. “I was just thinking.”
“About what?” She sounded concerned.
“I’ll tell you later.”
“You sure? You look really—”
“Um, hello?” Josh cut her off. “I hate to interrupt this daily episode of BFFs and their daily lives bullshit, but we have some party stuff to pick up.”
“Whatever.” She slowly pulled away. “Did I tell you that Carter is helping me to get laid before I leave for culinary school?” she said, smiling a perfect white smile in my direction. “He’s a real friend. Unlike someone I know.”
“I didn’t grow up with you for over half my life, okay? I don’t owe you anything. And as a matter of fact—”
I tuned out their voices. The two of them could argue for hours about absolutely nothing just because they wanted to. They always, thankfully, left me out of it for the most part.
And right now, I was more grateful than ever for their argumentative distraction.
I turned to my left to look at Ari again, hoping that the past few minutes were a mistake—that I was in the middle of a strange daydream. That there was no way I could be this attracted to her right now—no way I could want to tell her to pull over so I could taste her lips. Both sets of them.
The thoughts that were crossing my mind—ripping off that tank top—pulling off jeans shorts and spreading her across the top of my hood needed to be erased as soon as possible…
Holy fucking shit….
Track 6. Breathless (3:49)
I pulled over at a gas station and bit my tongue to prevent myself from screaming. I wasn’t sure how many more runs I could make with Josh and his frat brothers in the backseat, and if I heard him complain about my driving or heard the word “tiki torch” one more time, I was going to lose my mind.
I wasn’t sure why Josh’s fraternity was even attempting to throw another party. Granted, he knew how to throw a really good party, but he also knew how to break every rule in the book: Last year’s “Unforgettable” themed party ended with half of the attendees running from the cops. The year before that—the “Legendary Experience,” ended in a backyard fire, and I didn’t want to even think about what he had on his mind for this year’s “EPIC” event.
I shut the car off as soon as I put it in park and immediately got out, rushing inside the store to cool off. Literally.
Humming, I walked down the aisles and grabbed a bunch of junk since we still had quite a few trips to make. Twizzlers, Cheetos, and a couple of soft drinks for good measure.
Never agree to help Josh with a party again. Never again…
You want anything from inside?
I texted Carter.
Gatorade.
What flavor?
Surprise me.
I grabbed a blue one and walked to the register, setting down my collection. I waited for the attendant to turn around and ring me up, but she didn’t even look at me.
Her gaze was literally fixed on whatever was going on outside and she was mumbling to herself. “Oh my god…He is so perfect.”
I cleared my throat to get her attention. Nothing.
I coughed a few times, even throwing in an “Excuse me?” but I got nothing.
Her manager, another woman, came through a back door and I expected her to say something to me, or at least be kind enough to ring up my stuff, but she joined the attendant’s gaze fest instead.
“Jesus…” she said, making me finally turn around and look at whatever they were gawking at.
I knew it wasn’t Josh. He was on the phone yelling about something that sounded like Jell-O. His fraternity brothers were laughing about something and pumping the gas. They were cute, but nothing drool-worthy, nothing gawk-worthy.
I tapped my chest, preparing to clear my throat again so I could get out of their self-imposed Twilight-Zone, but my eyes suddenly latched onto Carter.
I’d seen him shirtless a million times before, seen his blue eyes gleam in the sunlight many times more, but I’d never felt the slightest bit of attraction. Until now…
And at that moment, it wasn’t “slight” at all…
With his six pack on full display, he was leaning against a different pump—looking off into the distance as beads of sweat trickled down his chest. He was flashing that charming smile he always used on an admirer across from him, but it was working on me from all the way over here.
He ran his hands through his jet black hair and I suddenly envisioned myself helping him with that, envisioned myself running my hands across his abs and lower—down to his perfectly defined “V” that trailed down to—
Oh. My. God…
I immediately looked away.
But then I looked at him again. I couldn’t help myself.