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I look around the room, excitement flowing through my veins. I can’t wait to get started on all the projects. My fingers are itching to run through some fabric.
I avoid the side of the room where Emmett is speaking with someone. It’s possible he’s one of the new guys, but I haven’t met everyone yet, so I’m not a hundred percent sure.
“Hi.”
I turn my head, a smile already on my lips.
“Hello,” I say, a little nervous from the obviously flirtatious smile on his lips.
He holds his hand out, and courtesy has me shaking it.
“I’m Oracle.”
“Devyn,” I return politely.
He takes longer than needed to release my hand. Although I don’t get a weird, creepy vibe from him, I’m also not interested in him flirting with me either.
Emmett is attracted to me. He said as much yesterday. I know he’s going to try to avoid me, as if the man is stubborn enough to think that not being around me will make it go away. Doesn’t he know that absence makes the heart grow fonder or however the saying goes?
Then again, as much as I want to think I know him, I could be way off. I can assume he’s an honorable man, but him not wanting to jump on the opportunity to feed his attraction to me doesn’t necessarily make him honorable either.
“I predict things,” Oracle says when I do nothing to further the conversation.
I’m not trying to be rude by not making small talk with him, but he’s not exactly the person in the room I wish was standing in front of me right now.
“Want me to predict things about you?”
I look in Emmett’s direction, wanting him to come over and join this conversation, but he seems locked in place.
Oracle follows my gaze. “He your guy?”
“Would saying yes make you stop flirting?”
He presses his hand to his chest. “You wound me, Devyn.”
My lips tug up in a half-smile, the silly tone of his voice speaking deeply to that part of me that feeds on attention from others.
Oracle and Emmett share some sort of man look. Although I don’t fully understand it, I get the feeling Emmett just somehow gave Oracle permission to proceed, that flirting with me would be okay.
Oracle is full on smiling at me now, despite the glare I send in Emmett’s direction. He doesn’t look exactly happy, but he isn’t coming over here to put a stop to it either.
I feel traded, discarded. Any thought I had about him fighting his attraction to me slips away. Maybe he figures it would be easier to get past it if someone else is in the way, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him off the hook that easily.
“That guy’s old,” Oracle says.
“He’s only thirty,” I mutter.
“That’s ancient. I’m only twenty-six. How old are you?”
I lift my chin a little higher. “Eighteen.”
He slow blinks at me, as if struggling with the information.
“Are you the daughter of one of the Cerberus guys?”
He looks around nervously as if he fully expects one of the guys to jump out and grab him up by the shirt collar and demand to know what his intentions are with me.
“I’m not.”
His face transforms once again. As distracting as it is, I still can’t seem to give him all my attention.
It’s clear Emmett isn’t going to make a move, and I’ve never been one to waste my time.
“What were you saying about predictions?”
He tries his best to maintain his smile, but I can see some of the enthusiasm drain out.
“It wouldn’t work now,” he says, shifting on his feet.
“What’s that?”
“The punchline. I say want me to predict things about you? And you say sure, and then I say something like I predict your clothes on my bedroom floor and you say—”
“Hold on.” I reach my hand out and place it on his forearm to silence him. “That kind of shit works on women?”
His grin grows wider. “Usually. You’re sure you’re eighteen?”
A chuckle bubbles out of my mouth. “That’s a horrible pickup line. Did you give yourself that nickname? Please tell me you did. That would make this so much funnier.”
He releases a good-natured laugh. “I didn’t, but now I’m kind of wishing I did. I think I like you, Devyn. You’re a breath of fresh air.”
“You know those lines aren’t going to work on me, right?”
“I know you’re too beautiful not to try.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, pushing a lock of hair behind my ear, watching his eyes follow the movement. I swear guys are so easy.
Maybe Emmett was right about boys because it doesn’t seem like Oracle has fully grown up yet.
“He’s a lucky man,” he says.
“Who?” I ask.
“I’m not sure what the game is, but it’s working.”
“What are you—”
“We didn’t finalize our plans yesterday,” Emmett says as he steps up and inserts himself into our conversation.
