If River thought I was kidding about camping out on his front porch until he agrees, he was wrong. I spend all morning in a lounge chair, reading on my phone. At this point, I'm not entirely sure if I'm daring him to call the police or trying to call his bluff.
I just know I'm mad as hell.
At two, Olive Medlock shows up with food, plopping down into the lounge chair beside me.
"Fancy place," she says, grinning like this is the most fun she's had all day. For the record, it probably isn't. Also, for the record, this probably isn't her first stakeout of the day, either. She's the one who gave me the idea.
"Right?" I tear into the takeout bag, my stomach growling. "Thanks for the lunch delivery."
"No problem." She kicks her feet up in the lounger beside me, peering at the door. "Has he come back out yet?"
"No. But I've seen him peeking out the window a few times." I scowl at said window, but the blinds are closed up tight. "If he weren't a writer, I'd buy a set of speakers and start playing EDM at full volume."
"Maybe you should anyway," Olive says with a laugh. "I bet not being able to concentrate would get him back out here faster."
She may have a point. But I actually do want him to finish his next book…
"I'll save the idea in case I need it later."
"You going to spend the night out here?"
"Maybe." I shrug, taking a big bite of my burger. "Maybe I'll go home and then come back in the morning. I'm undecided."
"He really pissed you off, huh?"
He kissed me.
"Yes. He has to suffer for it."
"Cool. Count me in." Olive laughs before shoving a fry into her mouth. Out of everyone I know, she's the most likely to help me with this insane vendetta. I mean, she did just stake out her neighbor because she was convinced he was a serial killer. She's also the least likely to have anything resembling helpful advice. But I will literally die before I call Lilah for help. She will lose her mind.
Out of the two of us, Lilah has always been the most level-headed. I'm the one who thinks before I act and will hold a grudge until I die. Lilah is usually more rational. She's also usually right.
Not this time. River Jamison does not get to try to blackmail me into a date, kiss me, then threaten to call the police on me. No frigging way. I will be the biggest pain in his ass he's ever met. I swear, I will. Is it rational? No. Am I being reasonable? No. Do I care? Right now, absolutely not.
He kissed me.
And I think he may have broken my entire damn brain when he did it, because all I've been able to think about all day is how much I want him to do it again.
This was not part of the plan.
He was supposed to agree to come talk to Book Club, that's it. I wasn't supposed to like him. I wasn't supposed to want to kiss him again. He wasn't supposed to become an actual person to me.
I'm mad as hell that he's got me all twisted into knots, seeing him in ways I shouldn't.
"Can I ask you a question?" Olive asks after a moment.
"Sure."
"Why do you want him to speak so badly?" She glances over at me. "I mean, I know you well enough to know you aren't doing all of this just because he made you mad."
You know the most alarming part? I'm not entirely sure that's true. I think maybe Iamdoing this because he pissed me off. He's uncooperative and frustrating, and he refuses to bend even an inch. I don't like to lose, and I've been doing nothing but losing since I met the gorgeous bastard.
Why doesn't he want to meet his readers? Not knowing is driving me nuts.
But that isn't why I want him to speak.
"Dirty Book Club is fun," I say slowly. "But we have a lot of women who attend who just…I don't know. I think they come because they've never felt seen, you know? They're lonely, unfulfilled, or just feel like they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. They're tired of being overlooked and of not being the hero in their own stories, so they come to Book Club to escape for a while. River writes women like them, women who have never felt like enough, and he does it so damn well. I guess I just want them to know that there are people out there who see them." I pause, thinking. "I want them to know that they can change their lives, the same way his heroines change theirs. They don't need permission or approval to do it. They don't need anyone to say that they're allowed to do this or that. I thought it'd be nice to have him come in person and just…remind them that it's okay to live whatever story they want to write for themselves."
