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“I’ll take your word for it, Connie.”
“Tell Clare I said hello,” she called over her shoulder and was gone.
I collected my cellphone and typed a message to Clare.I kind of really hate you right now.
Her reply was a laughing emoji. It figures that she would find all of this funny.
I let myself out of the apartment, and as I went down the stairs, I hesitated and listened carefully. The last thing I needed to do was run into Alex again. As luck would have it, the coast was clear, and I was out on the street a few moments later.
When I arrived at the tavern, I slipped into the seat next to Clare and downed half of my drink. Between work and my gift, my nerves were stretched thin.
“You are so funny. You really need to ease up,” Clare said as I set my glass down.
I gave her the stink eye and muttered, “Shut up.”
Someone took a seat next to her as I was taking another drink, and she turned to speak to them. I glanced past her, and my heart skipped over itself! Oh, my god, I could not get away from this man.
“You!” I snapped without meaning to.
“Do you two know each other?” Clare asked in surprise.
“Briefly, I’m Alex Miller, the one that opened her package yesterday.”
I couldn’t see Clare’s face as she shook his hand, but her entire body began to vibrate, and then laughter exploded out of her like a volcano. Her head was thrown back, her mouth wide open as she continued to cackle at my expense. I chanced a look at Alex and saw him watching her with approval. Good, maybe he was interested in her.
He shifted his focus to me, and I quickly looked away, muttering, “I’m so glad you two are enjoying my mortification.”
Clare grabbed my arm, wiping tears from under her eyes. “Come on, Lex! This is hysterical!” I saw her glance toward him and then lean my way. “And he is totally not in the negative.”
“Negative?” he asked, and his deep voice slithered down my spine as I closed my eyes and shifted in my seat. Was it too early to leave?
Clare spoke. “Yeah, she has this system of judging people by numbers. It’s pretty silly, but she adds up your points to see if you fit her standards.”
He chuckled as I looked everywhere but at him, ready to bolt from my chair. Clare must have known it too because she grabbed my arm.
“You are not going anywhere, so don’t even try.”
I rolled my eyes and downed the rest of my drink, holding my hand up to Simon to get a refill. I had a feeling I was going to be half in the bag by the time the evening was over.
“Don’t let it bother you,” Clare was saying to Alex, “I was like negative three hundred before we became friends.”
“Yeah, well, you’re more like negative five thousand right now,” I told her, forcing my eyes to look at only her and not Alex to see what he was thinking.
“Why am I negative five thousand? Because I laughed? Or because I bought you things that could help ease all that sexual tension you have?”
I glared at her for a moment as my drink was put down in front of me, and I took another hefty sip.
“Good selection, by the way,” Alex said to Clare. My earlier thought of giving the package to him was confirmed.
“I know, right?” She shook her head. “Lexi thinks that I’m crazy for using those things.” She paused and leaned toward him. “What do you think about them? Do you like using toys in the bedroom?”
“Clare!” I hissed toward her, and she batted a hand at me to shut me up as Alex grinned.
“I think it’s great. I love it when a woman is comfortable enough to enjoy her own pleasure.”
“Do you like to watch a woman get herself off?” she asked seriously, and I wanted to slide right off the barstool and disappear.
His deep chuckle oozed down my spine. “What man doesn’t want to watch a woman get off? It’s sexy as hell.”
