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She’d happily accepted the plans on the phone, but afterward, she’d been racked with a bout of anxiety. She was having a guy over. It wasn’t a date, but it wasn’t…not a date. And he was herneighbor. For anyone else, that would simply mean potential for awkwardness. For her, it was triggering as hell. All her old demons were nipping at her heels like rabid hyenas, trying to take her down. And that was before she even contemplated the fact that he was also technically her landlord.
She grabbed her phone off her nightstand and dialed Eliza—again. She’d already updated her on the situation when she’d seen her at WorkAround today. As soon as Eliza answered, Andi barked out, “What should I wear? What says ‘Hey, we’re just friends’ but also ‘Look how pretty I am’?”
Eliza laughed. “Be comfortable. Look casual. Show some skin.”
“Jeans and my purpleSave the Chubby Unicornstank top it is,” Andi declared.
Her friend snorted. “What’s a chubby unicorn?”
“It has a drawing of a rhino.” Andi grabbed the shirt from her closet.
“Perfect, that will show skin and personality.” Eliza paused. “You gonna be okay? Do you need me to call and check in with you?”
Andi blew out a breath, so thankful for her friends that she could barely contain the gratitude. “I’ll text you by nine to let you know how I’m doing.”
“You’ve got this, girl,” Eliza said, utter confidence in her voice. “Try to relax and have a good time. Listen to your gut. Or you know, parts lower than that if the situation arises.”
Andi rolled her eyes. “Goodbye, Eliza.”
“Love you.”
“Same.”
Andi ended the call, stripped out of the clothes she’d worn to the office, and changed into her outfit. She eyed the result in the mirror. Casual and cute and her boobs really did look great in this top. Winner.
She barely had time to pin her hair into a messy bun before the doorbell rang. A little zing went through her bloodstream, a mix of anxiety and anticipation. She took a breath, nodded at herself in the mirror in a silent he’s-probably-not-a-serial-killer pep talk, and then headed to her front door.
She checked the peephole, typed in the code on the newly installed alarm, and swung the door open. She’d anticipated that she’d feel nervous letting Hill inside. What she hadn’t anticipated was the rush of pleasure she got at the sight of him.Helloooo there.His dark hair was still damp at the ends like he’d just showered, and his black V-neck T-shirt clung enough to remind her what he’d looked like with his shirt off. The impact of all that gorgeous maleness was enough to rock her back on her heels a little.
“Hey,” he said with a small smile.
She wet her lips, feeling nervous energy—part giddy, part anxious—move through her. “Hey, yourself.”
He lifted the plastic container he was holding along with a grocery bag. “Food is fresh out of the pan. And I brought margarita fixings—not a traditional pairing with pad thai but usually a crowd favorite. I hope that matches well with losing my horror V-card.”
“Margaritas go great with everything.” She stepped back to let him in, waving her arm with a flourish. “Welcome, virgin. This will only hurt a little, I promise.”
He chuckled and stepped inside. “I’m officially terrified.”
She closed the door behind him and took a breath.
Me too.
But there was no turning back now.
