Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 128742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
“Lee was worried,” Jack finishes, awkwardly dropping his arms to his sides.
“Lee, huh? That’s funny, because he didn’t call me all evening. And when I texted him on my way home, he seemed more put off that I couldn’t stop at the off-licence to pick up wine.” I raise my eyebrows in challenge. “Didn’t get a call from you either. You know, if you were so worried.”
That gets me a glare. “Just keep us in the loop next time,” he mutters before stalking out of the kitchen.
Then, just because I’m a smart-ass jerk, I set my plate on the counter and reach for my phone. I open the texting app that everyone in this country seems to prefer and start a new chat with Jack. It isn’t until his profile image pops up that I realize he and I have never texted each other outside the group chat for all the roommates.
Jack’s profile is a picture of him and a young blond I assume is his sister, Shannon, judging by the resemblance between them. I click on it and type a new message.
Me: After dinner, I might take a walk to the café down the street to pick up some muffins for tomorrow morning. Just in case you come downstairs and find me missing. When I get back, I’ll likely take a shower, so if my room is empty, it means I’m in the bathroom. No need to call the police. I repeat, don’t call the police.
I get a middle finger emoji in response.
Laughing to myself, I send back a kissy face and then eat my dinner.
Later, while Jack and Jamie are at a rugby match and the pub, respectively, Lee stations himself in my bedroom so we can hammer out a “game plan” for my meeting with Lord Tulley tomorrow. I swear, Lee is more excited for this meeting than I am. He flings dresses at me with the verve of a major league pitcher, bouncing with enthusiasm.
“You need something sophisticated but flirty,” Lee is saying, holding yet another garment in front of me.
“Why flirty?”
His features contort. “Babe, I’m not explaining the bits and bobs to you.”
“I’m not trying to marry into the family. This is just a school assignment.”
He whips another reject at the discard pile on my bed. Just about everything I own has been judged too hideous to be seen in public.
“What’s that face?” He studies my reflection in the mirror.
“Huh? No face.”
“Mm-hmm. So then you’re not doubting my fashion expertise?”
“Not at all.”
I’m not sure which of us is worse at this.
“Abbey. Luv. If you want to go poking around in this lad’s family skeletons, you’ve got to ingratiate yourself to his masculine instincts.”
“I’m sorry?”
Lee grabs my shoulders to press another dress to me as he appraises it in the mirror. “Get him to like you.”
“You know, it’s a little disheartening you think that requires so much underhanded calculation.”
“Please,” he scoffs. “I’m jealous. You’re lucky I don’t stuff you in a closet and go myself.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be all that enthralling, to be honest.”
“Are you mad?” Lee cocks his head at the next dress he holds up. “I’d claw eyes out to meet one of the infamous Tulleys in person. Ordinary people are so passé.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re such a snob.”
“And?” He scrutinizes two dresses, holding them out. Then he pushes them in my hands. “Either of these will do. All right. Off I go. I’ve got to put on my mask. This complexion doesn’t happen by accident.”
I’m grinning to myself as he leaves. Lee is nothing if not entertaining. I hear him exchange a few words with Jack out in the hall, followed by the bathroom door shutting and Jack’s heavy footsteps. I’m still considering my options between the dresses when Jack pokes his head in my room.
“Come to scold me again?” I ask mockingly.
He mocks me right back. “I don’t know. Have you been a bad girl again?”
Oh God.
Hot Jack shouldn’t be allowed to utter the words bad girl.
His gaze shifts to the two dresses I laid out on the bed. “The red one makes you look like a schoolteacher.”
“How do you know?”
“You wore it, like, two weeks ago.”
Did I? I don’t remember. “In a good way, or…”
“Not the sexy kind.” Jack invites himself in, his long stride eating up the space between us. The glassiness in his eyes and whiff of lager on his breath says he went out with the boys after his match.
Nearly every stitch of clothing I own has been tossed around my room, so I start putting things on hangers and folding the rest to place into drawers.
“How was the game?” I ask.
“We humiliated them. Their girlfriends will never be sexually attracted to them again.”
“Oh. Pity.”
Pushing fabric aside, he picks through the piles of clothes on my bed. “Got a date?”