CHAPTER 17
WILL YOUR CRUSH
EVER NOTICE YOU?
TAKE THIS QUIZ!
ADRIAN
I watched the women huddled together in the living room. “What do you think they’re talking about?”
Jason took a swallow of his drink. “Well, looks like Kristen has activated my wife’s nervous eye twitch, so I’m going to say it’s something inappropriate.”
Kristen threw her hands up. “It’s science, Sloan!”
Vanessa laughed and peered over at me, her pretty eyes twinkling.
I grinned at her. “What are you ladies doing?” I called.
Vanessa twisted to smile at me over the back of the couch. “Summoning the devil to Eastwick. Don’t come over here.”
Josh chuckled and handed me an old-fashioned.
“Just one,” I said, taking it. “I’m driving.”
“I’m glad you called,” Josh said. “We should get together more often.
Come up to Ely and see the new house.” He nodded at the girls. “Bring Vanessa.”
I looked over at her and smiled. I’d like to bring her. I’d like to bring Vanessa anywhere. She made me proud to know her. She was exactly what her YouTube channel said she was—a social butterfly. A woman you could put in any situation and she’d charm the pants off whoever she was with.
Vanessa was effervescent. I’d never met a person that I could describe that way, but it was true. She glowed. Energy came off her and illuminated everything and everyone around her.
It wasn’t until I noticed that Jason was talking to the side of my face that I realized I was staring at her. “I’m sorry, what?” I asked, looking back at him.
“I was just saying I’m glad you didn’t pull out all these stops on your date with Sloan or my wife might have married you instead of me.”
I chuckled. “I never stood a chance. To this day, I have never had a woman run out of a date faster.”
Jason laughed. His wife looked up at the sound, and he winked at her.
“How long have you two been dating?” Jason asked.
“We’re not,” I said, talking into my tumbler. “We’re just friends.”
Josh snorted. “Are you sure?”
“Vanessa’s not interested in dating,” I said.
Josh laughed. “My wife told me the same thing once.” He nodded to the vestibule. “Hey, I think there’s some mistletoe hanging by the front door.”
He bounced his eyebrows.
I didn’t want Vanessa to kiss me just because we were standing under mistletoe. I didn’t want her to kiss me because it was midnight on New Year’s. I didn’t want a one-night stand or to be friends with benefits. I wanted all of her. I wanted it the right way.
I wanted her to want me back.