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For fuck’s sake, he was a child.
Thirty seconds later, his message came through.
Dad:If your wishful-thinking mother thinks you’re settling down and we might be moving this year, she’s more apt to let me buy it. Just dangle Sophie a little.
Dangle Sophie a little.
Brilliant plan.
seventeen
Sophie
“Wow, you looklike you’re going to an awards show,” Rose said, clapping her hands together and smiling as I walked into the living room.
“Thanks,” I said, feeling good as I clasped the diamond stud in my right ear. It was a revolutionary experience, dressing up for myself, and I was a little bit smitten with it. It didn’t matter if Max liked the way I looked, or if anyone at the wedding had an opinion on whether or not my boobs were too small or my ass was too big.
Iliked the black dress, and that was the only thing I cared about.
Hell, I wasn’t evennervousas I waited for my date. Wild, right?
“Who is taking you to the wedding again?” Larry asked, even though he was wearing his Beats, so I knew he wouldn’t hear me.
“Julian,” Rose answered with an eye roll. “I already told you that.”
“Which one is he?” Larry yelled, even though I’d literally had zero men come to the apartment since the breakup.
“Rhett Butler,” Rose said at the same time I said, “The guy from last weekend.”
“Sexy asshole,” Larry said, and I wasn’t sure what he meant, why he’d decided that, or who exactly he was telling it to.
I put on my other earring and was sliding into my pumps whenMax buzzed from the lobby. I’d planned on telling him I was on my way, to spare him another interaction with my roommates, but Rose beat me to the speaker and said, “Come on up.”
Which, actually, I thought as I rubbed Karen’s and Joanne’s fluffy little heads and waited, was a good idea, because I could get her to take a picture of us.
Not like it was anactualdate, but if I happened to have a photo of Max and me dressed up together and happened to show it to Edie—well, that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for my career, right?
When the knock came, I pulled open the door.
And proceeded to almost swallow my tongue.
Because Max Parks in a black tuxedo was entirely too much.
He was stunningly attractive, his tux perfectly tailored to show off that he definitely might be shredded underneath it all. That there was a wide, hard chest under that shirt and jacket. But he looked sophisticated and elegant, too, like... well, like he should be walking the red carpet at an awards show (thank you, Rose). This vision that he was, combined with my knowledge of how unbelievably good he was at kissing, kind of made him the sexiest man alive.
His eyes ran all over me—hair, face, dress, shoes—like he was taking inventory, and it took everything in my power not to squirm. But I cleared my throat and reminded myself that I didn’t care what he thought about my appearance.
Iwas in love with the one-shoulder black cocktail dress, and that was all that mattered.
“Hi,” I said, almost as a question because he was still just staring at me.
“I don’t want to sound like an asshole misogynist, Soph,” he said, his eyes still everywhere on me, “but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman look this gorgeous in real life.”
“How would that make you sound like an asshole misogynist?” Ifelt breathless from his compliment, even though I knew I shouldn’t give a shit about his opinion. It was just... well, it wasnice.
“Because it could be taken as a degradation of all women other than you, though that’s entirelynothow I meant it.”
“Oh,” I said, nodding, before realizing I’d said nothing about his appearance.
