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“Where are you going?” Noah asked from behind her, the anger gone from his voice.
“Home. I’m tired,” she said. As she picked up her purse, she saw the stapled flyer she’d grabbed for Noah at the Art Factory. She pulled it out, turned, and crossed the room to him. “I picked this up for you. Thought there might be something helpful, and maybe even fun.” She shrugged. “I know it’s probably not your thing, but…”
He took the papers without looking at them. “Kristina—”
“I gotta go.” She turned for the door.
“Your car’s not here.”
She came to a stop and nearly groaned out loud. “I’ll…uh, get an Uber.”
“Fuck that. If you want to go home, I’m taking you.” He came up behind her and settled his hand against her lower back.
The contact made her want to turn into him, wrap herself around him, and push him for more. For everything. Instead, she pulled away. “Okay,” she whispered.
It was the longest car ride of her life. Quiet. Tense. Realllly awkward.
Kristina hated it.
And it made her realize that Noah had been right.
Their flirtation this week was dangerous. If it could lead to a moment like this, when they’d rarely shared a truly angry word in almost twenty years of friendship? Yeah, that was a problem.
Which meant Kristina had to lay her more-than-best-friend feelings for Noah Cortez aside once and for all.
Chapter Nine
Sitting at a table in the hip bistro the next night, Kristina was so glad she’d organized some girl time. She hadn’t realized how much weirder things were gonna get with Noah, and therefore how much she’d need it.
“Here’s to girls’ night out,” Kate said, lifting her Mojito glass. Kate had short brown hair, huge blue eyes, and warm olive skin, and had been one of Kristina’s closest friends since they’d been freshman roommates in college.
“I’ll drink to that,” Kristina said, lifting her Mojito. She had a weakne
ss for the strawberry-and-mint combination, and for the rock candy lollipop in the glass. They clinked drinks. For a few minutes, they engaged in high-level negotiations over appetizers and shared entrees, and then ordered.
“So, I have news,” Kate said, waggling her eyebrows.
“Which is?” Kristina asked, chuckling at how Kate always made a show of her gossip.
Kate raised her glass, and her expression went solemn, serious. “I. Got me. Some big, fat D.”
“Oh, my God,” Kristina said with a laugh. She held up her hand for a high-five. “I suppose congrats are in order? But also, spill!”
“You better believe it,” Kate said. “Mama had three big ohs, too.”
Kristina couldn’t stop giggling as she held up her glass for another toast. “I’ll definitely congratulate you on that.” As horny as she’d been lately, she not only felt happy for her friend, but extremely envious. “So, who was this orgasm-giving god?”
“Oops,” Kate said, grinning at the male waiter who of course chose that exact moment to arrive with their appetizers. The look on his face said he’d overheard their conversation.
Chuckling, Kate waited for the guy to leave and, as they devoured a plate of nachos, launched into a long and colorful story about a guy she’d met at the gym. Kristina was nearly crying as Kate recounted that she could tell he was hung because he regularly ran on the treadmill but didn’t wear compression shorts. And things moved. A lot, apparently. So she’d introduced herself, they’d gone to lunch, and quickly thereafter ended up in bed.
“If I thought he was impressive when he was soft, it was nothing compared to when he was hard. I’m not even kidding,” she said.
Annnd of course the waiter chose that moment to deliver their food—an artisan pizza and an entrée salad they were sharing.
“So what about you?” Kate asked around a bite of pizza. “Any exciting news?”
Kristina smiled, because she actually had news. For once. “Well. I have a date next weekend.”
