Page 53 of Long Story Short

“We kissed. And I swear to God, Scar, it was the best kiss of my life.”

“Was it hot?”

I close my eyes for a moment as I remember just how hot it was. I didn’t know it was possible for a kiss to leave me still wanting more, but Tyson’s lips against mine did just that. “So hot. The hottest. I’ve never had another kiss that could even remotely compare.”

“Imagine how hot the sex will be, then.” She says the sentence so effortlessly, as if she doesn’t care in the slightest that she isn’t alone in the car.

My eyes flutter shut for a moment because even though I’m trying not to, it’s hard not to picture having sex with Tyson. With the way he kisses—and the way he effortlessly says the sexiest things that leave me clenching my thighs—I’m sure he’s great in bed. “I shouldn’t be imagining that,” I tell Scarlett with a groan.

“Why not?”

“Because I need to work, Scar. I was told my book sucks, and I’m just finding my footing with my rewrites. I can’t get so swept up in Tyson that I don’t meet this new deadline.”

Scarlett rolls her eyes as if my words are ridiculous. “Yeah, you’re finding your footing because he’s making you horny, and that makes you a better writer.”

“Scarlett!” I yell, covering the phone with my hand and looking over my shoulder as if someone will overhear her words. No one does. I’m alone—except for Mouse, who stares at me from his perch by the window—but her words don’t make me flush any less. Even if I’m alone, she isn’t. “You can’t say things like that.”

“Yes, I can. I’m right, and you know it.”

I shift my position on the couch as I think about her point. She’s pointing out things I kind of already knew. I’m inspired because of Tyson. Something about him has brought back my writing spark. It might be because he does make me horny, but it’s more than that. He gives me butterflies in a way I’ve never felt before. He’s inspiring me, and I don’t want to stop seeing him. I just need to make sure I find a balance between getting to know him and allowing him to make me feel things I’m not used to feeling, while also still making sure I don’t get behind on my deadline.

“Your silence tells me you know I’m right,” Scarlett points out, her tone very matter-of-fact.

I roll my eyes. “Yes, you’re right. Is that what you want to hear?”

Scarlett laughs as she emphatically nods her head. “Yes, it is. Talk dirty to me, Jo.”

Her comment makes me laugh as I shake my head at my best friend. You really never know what’s going to come out of her mouth.

“I still don’t want to spend too much time with him and miss this deadline,” I tell her with a defeated sigh. I don’t want to get so swept up in the giddiness of finding a new connection with someone that I completely drop the ball on writing this book. I not only want to rework this book, but I want to make it epic. I want it to be my best work yet, and to do that, I think I need to figure out a delicate balance between allowing Tyson to inspire me while also making sure I take the time to actually write.

“Can I say something that might hurt your feelings?” Scarlett asks, her voice gentler than I’m used to hearing from her.

I frown but nod my head. “I’m shocked you even asked. Normally, you just say exactly what you’re thinking.”

“Well, I don’t want to upset you.”

My stomach tightens slightly because Scarlett’s never really been wary about what she says to me. She’s blunt, and I love that about her. But the fact that she’s being considerate enough to ask me if she can say whatever she’s about to say has me feeling uneasy.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been mad at you,” I point out.

“You like boring men,” she blurts. “The guys you’ve gone for since we’ve met have been boring and safe. You like to pretend they’re fun and what you want because you like to imagine you’re living this fairy tale, but you’re not. Deep down, you know they’re boring. You like boring because boring can’t hurt you.”

I frown as I process her words. The more I look back at the men I’ve dated, I can see that she has a point, but I don’t know how I feel about her saying I’ve liked that because I don’t want to get hurt. “Eli was fun in the beginning,” I point out.

She scoffs before dramatically making a gagging noise. “No, he wasn’t. You were just swept up in the relationship. He wasn’t fun. But you liked him because you didn’t care enough about him for him to really hurt you.”

My jaw pops open. “Scarlett,” I scold. I now understand why she was scared of saying this to me. Her words are a bit harsh.

She gives me an apologetic shrug through the phone screen. “Tyson isn’t boring, and that’s what scares you. I think you could see yourself actually caring about him, and that makes you hesitant.”

“No, I’m just busy right now. I can’t start a new relationship—not that that’s what it’d even be, because we just met—while I’m supposed to be finishing a book.”

Scarlett rolls her eyes. “Then don’t start anything serious with him, but let yourself have fun and figure out the rest later once this book is done. He’s inspiring you. Let him. Maybe he’ll actually show you what good sex is like.”

“I’ve had good sex,” I argue, but the moment the words leave my mouth, they don’t feel right. Sure, I’ve had sex that was okay. But I’ve never had sex that made me feel as good as just kissing Tyson felt.

“Maybe we should circle back to this conversation when you’re ready for it.” She pauses for a moment before pursing her lips as her eyes light up. “Actually, we’ll circle back to this when you’ve had sex with Tyson. And then I’ll say ‘I told you so’ because you’ll realize what good, passionate sex actually is.”