When a knock came at the door, Audrey wanted to drop to her knees and thank God for interrupting this conversation. “Oh, Pipe, let me let you go. It’s the door. I think Tate’s here.”
“Tate’s there? So I’ve been talking till I’m blue in the face and all along you were planning on having him over for round two?”
“For the love of God, you horny thing! He is coming over for DVR night! Sheesh.” Audrey laughed as she made her way to the door.
“That’s stupid. Round two sounds like more fun.” Piper laughed.
“We are friends,” Audrey stressed again. “That’s all. Get Tate out of your mind, and help me find another man since you are so against me being with Levi.”
Maybe she should look for someone else; maybe Levi was a waste of time. She should look for an older man. One who didn’t have an inkling to have a child. Maybe she could be like a trophy wife or something.
“Oh, I will, but I still think Goalie would be your best bet,” Piper said again.
“Goodbye, Piper!”
“Goodbye, darling, do something naughty!”
Hanging up the phone, Audrey shook her head. Piper was crazy. It was plain and simple. While part of Audrey wanted to agree with Piper about Levi and get herself an older man, her heart couldn’t. Levi just needed some more time without her, knowing that he wasn’t going to get an easy lay and that Audrey wanted more. That’s all he needed, and then he would be back.
Or maybe he wouldn’t, and she was just a big idiot.
With a heavy heart, Audrey opened the door and all thoughts of Levi, Piper, older men, and even her heavy heart disappeared as Audrey looked up into the face of her “had to be” friend.
Tate Odder stood tall with a carton of ice cream in one hand and his other hand tucked tightly into the big heavy coat he wore. His jeans were dark, and the shirt that peeked out of the jacket was light green. His hair was pulled back into a black beanie, with only a few of his blond locks falling onto his forehead, and his neck beard was growing in thick. For some reason, she wanted to tuck herself under his chin and run her nose through the coarse hair over and over again. Looking up into his face, she saw that his lips were curved in a lazy grin while he regarded her with a fierce look in his eyes.
For once, she felt self-conscious.
It was weird because that never happened. She loved the way she dressed and always thought she looked good. Like now, in bare feet, wearing a pair of short yellow shorts with dark blue tights underneath. A flowing, dark blue polka-dot top completed the outfit. Her hair was up in a high bun and her makeup was perfection. She never felt out of place, thought that what she put on looked good on her body. She had been a curvy girl her whole life, always ten sizes bigger than Fallon. It used to bother her when she was younger, but it hadn’t since she had the abortion.
The abortion that changed everything.
But now, looking up at Tate, watching his eyes roam her body, she couldn’t help but wonder if he liked her outfit. Did he like her hair? Did he think she was sexy in yellow shorts?
Even Levi’s constant verbal abuse hadn’t truly made her question how she looked. She took care of herself, except when she binged on cupcakes, but then again, what woman didn’t? She loved who she was. So why was she second-guessing herself now with Tate? What was so different about Tate?
Ah, this friend shit is so hard, she thought, letting out the breath she was holding.
“Hey, Tate,” she forced herself to say. “Come on in.”
He smiled, moving past her as he said, “Thanks, I was wondering how long we were going to stare before you let me in.”
Audrey smiled as she shut the door. “You were staring just as hard there, guy,” she joked as she went into the kitchen to take the popcorn out of the microwave.