“Absolutely not. At least, not until you work your pie chart magic and figure out who can break the curse.”
Lex nods. “Right.”
“But that doesn’t mean you and I can’t hang out,” I say tentatively.
A smile blossoms on Lex’s beautiful face. “True.”
I squeeze my hands together in my lap. “Do you think, maybe, if you’d be up for it, you and Gabe could come over for dinner?”
Lex’s face is blank as she considers my question. “You want usbothover for dinner?”
“Well, I know it’s your week with him and you prefer hanging out with me when he’s with his dad, but he sounds really cool and you talk about him all the time and I wouldloveto meet your son.” It all comes out in big rush, and now I find myself holding my breath as I wait for her reply.
Lex takes her time, eyeing me uncertainly. “You would?”
“Of course! I can cook you both dinner, and we can take Winston for a walk, and then I can help him with his makeup and show him a few tips and tricks.”
“You’d do that?”
“Definitely. Besides.” I bite my lip. “It sucks only seeing you every other week. I look forward to our hangouts so much. And if you feel comfortable having Gabe at my place then I’d get to see you more often.”
I prepare for her to laugh at me, for her to tell me to stop being so clingy, to get some other friends so I don’t bother her so often. But she doesn’t. Instead, she smiles and says, “I think that’s a great idea.”
My heart leaps into my chest. Bouncing in my seat, I grip Lex’s hands in mine. “I’m so excited to meet him! If Gabe is even half as amazing as you are, then I know I’m going to adore him.”
Her eyes grow big and round, then shimmer. For a moment I’m worried she’s going to start crying, but just as quickly as the moment came it passes, and I find myself questioning if I saw it at all.
Our server approaches with the bill and Lex withdraws her hands, shifting away from me. I clear my throat and wipe the remnants of tears away from my cheeks as our bill is placed on the table.
“I got it,” Lex says, reaching.
“No, I said I’d get it,” I argue, grabbing for it at the same time.
We knock the bill onto the ground, I dive for it, and—riiiiiiiiiiiiip.
Oh, fuck.
“Was that your pants?” Lex asks.
I shift back into my seat, then twist so we can look at my ass. Sure enough, my purple panties have made their grand reappearance through a torn seam.
Lex reaches into her bag and pulls out the emergency pants for such occasions.
“What would I do without you?” I say with a sigh.
Lex chuckles. “You’ll never have to know.”
After paying our bill, Lex follows me to the bathroom so she can block the view of my butt from the rest of the patrons, and the two of us giggle and chat as I change in the stall. Once fully clad I join Lex by the mirror and hug her from behind.
“You can’t take me anywhere, can you?” I say, hoisting my cell and snapping a picture of us through the mirror.
Lex laughs as she pulls me close, eyes twinkling. “Nope.”
chapter thirteen
Misfired Meet-Cutes and Failed Flirtations
Gabriel is the best. The second he walked through the door with Lex I knew I was going to like him. He has long blond hair that hangs in front of his face, Lex’s dimples, and hazel eyes. I could tell by the way he stood in my entryway, shoulders drawn inwards and avoiding my gaze, that he’s generally shy and slow to warm up to people, but the moment Winston bounded up and greeted him with a flurry of licks, tail wags, and excited piddles, all his anxiety disappeared. Within moments he was lying on the floor with Winston lapping at his face, giggling and shrieking with glee.
