“I don’t care.”
“Look at me!” I’m still in my cami and yoga shorts and Declan is going to be here in fifteen minutes. Adam turns from the stove, his eyebrows raised. His light brown hair is a mess, he’s shirtless and barefoot, wearing only old ripped jeans. I tug my hair up into a messy knot, then let it fall around my shoulders. “Up or down?”
“Umm, down?”
“Okay, good. I don’t have time to pin it anyway.” I turn and run back to my bedroom and stare at the six outfits I have spread over my bed. “Do you think it’s gonna be a casual dinner?” I yell out at Adam.
“How in the hell should I know? I’m not dating Declan.”
“But he’s your friend,” I yell back. I suppose I could go middle of the road with a pair of black capris and a blue peasant blouse. I pull them on, then walk out to the kitchen. “Does this shirt show too much cleavage?”
“Cal, we really need to find you some girlfriends. I’m not qualified to answer these questions.”
I spin and head back for the bedroom after throwing Adam the bird and quickly change out of the blouse and into a red, sleeveless button down, then return to the kitchen.
“Better?”
“Callie, they’re both fine.”
“I don’t want fine,” I reply with a scowl. “I want sexy.”
“I’m really the wrong person to ask. You’re practically my sister. I don’t want to have sex with you.”
“I’m relieved to hear it,” I quip and turn a circle, showing off the open back. “I can’t wear a bra with this one.”
“Jesus, Callie,” he says, a pained look on his face. “It’s the first date. At least start it out with most of your clothes on.”
I cock a brow. “Are you preaching to me about keeping my clothes on, Mr. I Walk Around The Apartment Mostly Naked?”
“I’m not on a date.”
“You don’t date.”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t even know what we’re talking about anymore!” I groan and stomp back to my bedroom, changing into a baby blue cami with a pretty chiffon see-through blouse over the top and return to the kitchen. “This is pretty and not slutty.”
“I didn’t say you were slutty before,” he replies, but stops chopping and looks me up and down. “That works.”
“Okay.” I smile, dance a little jig, and run back to my room for my black heels and handbag, then return to the kitchen to put on my jewelry.
“You’re excited about tonight,” Adam says casually while completely destroying an innocent stalk of celery. “What changed your mind about Declan?”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t seem like you liked him, and now you’re going out with him.”
“It’s been a while since I went out on a date with a reasonably attractive man,” I reply, not giving away that there’s something about Declan that pulls at me. “A girl’s entitled to want to look pretty.”
“Well, you do,” he says and sighs. “Look, it’s none of my business who you date. I like Declan, and we go back a ways. But he’s also a bit of a player. Not as bad as me, because well, I’m me, but he goes through his share of women.”
I cross my arms and grin at my friend. “I love you too. I’m not marrying him, I’m letting him buy me food.”
“And letting him talk you out of that blouse.”
“Maybe.” My grin spreads as I slip my favorite Alex and Ani bracelets on my arm. “We’ll see.”
The doorbell rings, and I plaster on my completely calm face as I cross to the door and answer it. As soon as I see him, my stomach is full of butterflies on speed and I’m quite sure my upper lip is sweating.
Not sexy, Callie.