Page 18 of Last First Date

"I would." Meredith shrugged. "I would just tell him not to talk while I worshiped his body."

"There's more to a person than their looks," I said. "And the more that Knox has makes him ugly. Hideous. He's not a man I would ever look twice at if you could see his shitty personality. He should have a tattoo on his forehead warning people he's a self-absorbed, cocky asshole."

Janie laughed. "If only we could enforce that for all men."

"He's also the most infuriatingly arrogant and stubborn man I've ever met," I went on.

"I think you should sleep with him," Meredith announced.

I choked, clapping my hand over my mouth to keep from spewing margarita across the table. "Are you crazy?" I asked.

"I'm serious," Meredith said. "I think you hate him because there's sexual tension between the two of you. Take him to bed and strip away that tension."

"You're crazy," I said. "Batshit certifiable."

"She can't sleep with her boss," Janie said. "That will only make things worse."

"But what if he likes her?" Meredith countered. "Men mature slower than women. Maybe he has the maturity of a twelve-year-old boy. He likes you and doesn't know how to flirt. He's picking on you because he likes you."

I rolled my eyes. "You've lost your mind, Meredith," I replied with a laugh. "And for the record, I am not attracted to him. Not in the slightest."

"Sure, you aren't," Meredith said, raising an eyebrow at me. "That's why you're always talking about him."

"I talk about him because he's making my life a living hell!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up.

"Okay, okay," Janie said, jumping in to defuse the situation. "Let's just change the topic. Waverly doesn't want or need to sleep with Knox. End of story."

The conversation shifted away from Knox, but Meredith was a little right. Yes, it had been a horrible week, but since our little blowup, he had seemed to soften a little. He even said please and thank you. I supposed it was progress. It was a shift that had taken me by surprise, and part of me wondered if his initial brashness was merely a façade, an attempt to assert himself in his new role. He was the new dog in the park and was intimidated. He was coming on strong to keep the other dogs at bay.

Melanie and Janie talked about their jobs while we ate nachos and sipped margaritas. Knox remained at the back of my mind. He was a distraction. He was an attractive man, and when he smiled, it was like the sun peeking through storm clouds. I found myself wondering what it would be like to have a cordial relationship with him. What would it be like to hear him laugh and talk about things he liked? My interactions with him were always so tense and full of anger.

As much as I hated to admit it, Meredith had hit on something. There was tension between Knox and me, but whether it was sexual or just two hard-headed individuals clashing over business, I wasn’t sure. I doubted the man would ever look at me in that way. He was a model that probably dated other models. I imagined him with one of the Victoria's Secret Angels or a Hollywood actress.

"She's thinking about him," Meredith said. "You can see it in her eyes."

I blinked. "What?"

Janie looked at me. Her eyes widened. "You are!"

"I am not," I replied but I could feel my cheeks burning. I was so busted.

"Yes, you are." Meredith laughed.

"I was just thinking he's been a little nicer since we had our little Come to Jesus moment."

Janie groaned. "Oh no."

"What?" I asked.

"People can only hide their true colors for so long," Janie cautioned. "He might be playing nice right now, but you've met the man in his natural state."

Knox might be more palatable now, but that didn't erase the history of his abrasive behavior. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I needed to be careful I didn't fall under his spell.

"I'm not going to get involved with him," I assured her. "Besides, I think I'm about eight sizes too big for him. He's used to size zeroes. He's one of them."

"One of who?" Janie asked.

"The beautiful people," I answered.