Chronicles of a Serial Dater - Book 6: A New Adult Romantic Comedy Read online

  I actually caught an air of possessiveness from her, as if she weren’t comfortable with me talking to her man. Not surprising considering how they got together in the first place. She looked back and forth between us as I sputtered.

  “Is she fucking serious right now?” I asked Kevin, completely ignoring her.

  He held his hand up defensively. “Come on, let’s not make a scene.”

  With every ounce of willpower left in my body, I reminded myself that it would probably be a crime to throw a scalding hot cup of coffee in someone’s face. “She’s introducing herself to… no. You know what? I’m not going to make a scene.” I extended my hand out to the girl who was more confused than ever. “We’ve actually met. I’m Talia.” I waited for the name to sink in yet she still looked at me with that irritating blank look. So I added, “Kevin’s ex-girlfriend.”

  “Oooooooh,” she replied. Her expression was the best imitation of a blowup doll I’d ever seen.

  I nodded smugly, switching the coffee to my other hand and sucking on my burned skin. “Yeah.”

  “I’m just gonna…” She didn’t even finish her sentence, choosing to flee the situation just like I wanted to. Yet I was pinned to the spot out of some weird sense of politeness.

  Kevin looked after her like he wanted to follow, but instead continued this ridiculous farce of a conversation. “So… you’re still living in New York.”

  “Yup.”

  “Cool, cool. I’m out in California now. Flying out tonight actually.”

  I nodded, enjoying seeing him squirm for once. From over his shoulder, I spotted Clint watching us. I gave him a huge smile and waved him over.

  “That’s great, really great. Hey, I’d love for you to meet Clint.” I looped my arm through Clint’s when he approached and beamed. “Clint, this is Kevin.”

  A split-second later, with no further communication, Clint knew the score. “Good to meet you.”

  I could tell Clint crushed his hand as they greeted each other. The look of utter surprise and confusion on Kevin’s face was worth so many nights crying over him.

  “Kevin was telling me he lives out in California now,” I said.

  “No kidding. We just bought a place in Hidden Hills.” I didn’t recognize the name, but judging by Kevin’s reaction, it was a nice neighborhood.

  “Ah, cool. Yeah, I’ve been considering getting in on the property…”

  “Sorry, just one sec,” Clint cut him off, holding up his hand dismissively. “The limo is waiting out front, whenever you’re ready.”

  “Great, thanks darling,” I gushed. Darling? That’s the pet name I choose for him. Okay…

  “Hate to run. Safe travels,” he said, giving Kevin a hard slap on the shoulder.

  Kevin watched him stride away before wheeling back. “I didn’t realize you were dating again.”

  “Well, you know. Hard to keep a good girl down.”

  “It’s a little quick, don’t you think? I mean, we only just broke up and you’re buying houses with strange Englishmen?”

  “Oh, that’s funny! That’s really hilarious because, let’s see if my memory is good here,” I said, making a show of tapping my cheek as I thought long and hard about it. “You didn’t have the decency to break up with me before you stuck your dick in Escort Service Barbie.”

  His mouth fell open, working as if he were a fish gasping its last breath. “Talia, I…”

  I took a step forward, putting only a few inches between us. “If I’d fucked a guy straight after you dumped me, on our graduation day, thanks for that by the way. If I’d fucked someone that night, it wouldn’t have been a little quick,” I sneered.

  It was in that moment I realized how far I’d come in just a few months. He gaped at me as if I were another person and really, Kevin never heard me talk like that before. I kind of was a different person and I was okay with that.

  I backed off, shaking my head with a little chuckle. “You know, what I choose to do with strange Englishmen or anyone else stopped being any of your business the moment you hooked up with Lowered Expectations over there.” I gave him a fake smile and finished with, “Thanks so much for your concern.”

  I turned to leave, but he reached out and grabbed my wrist. I wrenched it away like his hand was made of acid. “Talia, I really hope at some point we can find a way to be friends.”

  “Kevin, I’m sure you’ve hassled her for a mid-air blowie for weeks like you did with me. So, friend to friend, I sincerely hope blondie bites your cock off during a pocket of turbulence.”

  I spun on the ball of my foot and strode off, confidence thrumming through every cell in my body. I’d found the best cure for any hangover; storming away from an ex looking and feeling fantastic.

  “He’s staring at you through the window,” Clint said. He was scanning the loading area, eyes obscured by dark sunglasses.

  “I’m sure he is.” I flipped my hair over my shoulder and took a sip of my coffee. It was a causal ‘fuck you’ I’d wanted to say for months now.

  A black limo pulled around the corner and Clint gave the driver a wave. “I enjoyed that a little too much,” he laughed.

  “Nowhere near as much as I did.”

  “I feel like I should kiss you again,” he said, peering over the rim of his glasses at me. I suddenly stopped caring about the charade, my knees going a little weak. I think he sensed it and quickly recovered.

  He placed his flat hand on the small of my back and leaned in close to my ear.

  “Of course, that might be too obvious.”

  “Of course,” I replied, my stomach fluttering.

  I burst into a fit of nervous laughter once the limo pulled away. The adrenaline in my system made me a little shaky but I felt amazing. Of all the different scenarios I’d imagined running into Kevin for the first time since our breakup, at the airport on the arm of someone like Clint was definitely not one of them. But holy hell was it perfect. I can’t wait to get home and write about this…

  The limo whisked us into the city in almost record time, which was a shame. I’d hoped the traffic would prolong our chance meeting a little longer. Maybe it was my imagination, but Clint seemed to want to extend our time together too. When the limo pulled up outside of my building, Clint’s tone suddenly changed.

  “We can go get a cup of coffee if you want,” he suggested. “I know you just had one but I have the car until midnight.”

  I peered up to the building, rolling the offer around in my head. As tempted as I was to spend more time with him, I was aware that we’d had a great couple of hours already. Half of me was afraid I’d mess things up if I didn’t leave now and the other half knew I’d be going out with him only to avoid the confrontation waiting for me upstairs.

  “Maybe some other time. I’m a bit tired from the flight.” Even as I said it, I wanted to take it back.

  “That’s a shame, but you didn’t let me finish. I was gonna offer to take you away to Ecuador for the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had, but since you’re tired…” he shrugged.

  “That is a shame,” I giggled. “But you’d probably trick me into hiking up a mountain to get it, wouldn’t you? Besides, the best coffee in the world comes from a store just down there,” I said pointing toward Tom’s. “Not that I’ll ever be able to set foot in there again…”

  “And why is that?”

  Realizing I’d said too much again, I shook my head, hoping my tone would sound exhausted rather than embarrassed. “It’s a very long story.”

  “Ah, well maybe you’ll tell me some time.”

  He had such an air about him. I’m not sure if it was just because I was so freakin’ attracted to him that he made me nervous or if it was his pure confidence. Either way, I always ended up feeling like a twitchy mess next to him.

  “I had a really good time,” I said without thinking. Jesus Talia, you weren’t on a date with him. My jaw fell open as a quick smile spread across Clint’s face. I swiftly added, “I mean, in Calif
ornia. That was exactly the break I needed.”

  He shifted toward me, not so much sliding across the seat as dominating the space between us. “I’d like to think I had something to do with that.”

  Stay professional, woman. “Of course! I wouldn’t have seen that gorgeous view if it hadn’t been for you.” Overwhelmed with him drawing closer in the back of a luxurious tinted-out limo, I panicked. I thrust out my right hand and said, “It was great seeing you again. I’m looking forward to tomorrow at work.”

  He could read me like a book, but had the good grace to not say any of it out loud. With a little smirk, he slid his hand into mine. The touch was far from professional…

  “Until tomorrow.”

  The driver was waiting with my bags as I opened my door, legs shaky and unreliable. As I slung my purse over my shoulder, the window buzzed down.

  “Good luck with Anette,” Clint said.

  With as flustered as he’d left me, I’d forgotten the potential shit show that waited for me upstairs. “Right. Yeah, thanks.”

  The walk up the stairs to my apartment felt more like a funeral march than a homecoming. I had no idea what to expect from Anette. None whatsoever. We’d never fought this long before and I’d definitely never just taken off for a weekend without letting her know. I set my bags on the floor and fumbled with my keys, trying to remember if she would be working tonight or not. Just as I was sliding the key into the lock, the door whipped open. I let out a little cry of surprise and dropped my keys.

  Anette stood in the doorway, her expression unreadable. She wasn’t dressed to go out, so it wasn’t like we’d just happened to cross paths. She’d deliberately opened the door like that when she heard me coming in. With one hand on the knob and the other on the frame, she was literally boxing me out of the apartment.

  With a sigh, I bent to pick up my bags. So there’s no chance we can talk about this now, I guess, I thought. She seemed more pissed off than ever. I was all ready to make peace but she apparently wasn’t.

  “Can I please get by?” I asked with weary frustration.

  A moment later, her face contorted and she flung herself forward. “Don’t you ever leave like that again!” she cried, wrapping her arms around my shoulders in a huge bear hug. I dropped the bags with a much louder thud than the keys and stood straight-armed.

  “You don’t hate me?”

  “Of course not!” she replied, somehow squeezing me even tighter. She gripped me by both shoulders and looked me square in the eye. “Oh my God! You scared the shit out of me. Don’t you ever do that to me again!”

  Tears welled in my eyes, surprising both of us. “I’m sorry,” I whimpered, returning her hug with equal strength.

  “You look tan,” she replied with a hitch in her voice.

  “Will you two knock it off up there? Some people are trying to sleep!”

  “Yeah, yeah, Mr. Oleniacz,” Anette called down. “Keep your pants on. Or take ‘em off. I don’t care, just hush up.” She grabbed one of my bags and literally dragged it along the floor into our apartment. “For an old deaf guy, he sure does bitch about noise a lot, doesn’t he?”

  “No kidding,” I laughed.

  We stood awkwardly in front of the door. The tension had broken but we weren’t quite okay yet. That was going to take time.

  “You want a beer?”

  “Yes, please,” I replied dramatically. I bent and gave Pluto a pat on the head. “Missed you, little guy.”

  We settled on opposite ends of the sofa, the fan blowing a meager breeze through the hot apartment. The conversation started slowly, but swiftly grew to us piling on apology after apology.

  “I’m sorry I stuck my nose all up in your shit. I really didn’t mean for you to think I was trying to control you.”

  “No, no! I’m sorry I didn’t just say something. How were you supposed to know?”

  Back and forth we went for a good hour, hashing it all out. A heavy weight centered right in the middle of my chest lifted, a burden I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying for so long. I could breathe for the first time in weeks and the apartment felt like a home again rather than a battle zone. There was still one thing that hung heavy on my mind.

  “Have you talked to Zach?” I asked hesitantly.

  Anette picked at her nails and failed to meet my eye. “He came down looking for you this morning, actually. I get why you didn’t tell me, but why didn’t you tell him you’d left?”

  “He was the main reason. We had a fight, too.” She didn’t say anything, I think choosing silence over I-told-you-so. I pulled up my big girl panties and added, “You were right. He has feelings for me.”

  Even with the forgive and forget vibe we had going, I expected Anette to gloat a little. Instead, she reached out and squeezed my knee. “Sweetie, that boy has been in love with you since we were sophomores. You’re the only person on the planet who couldn’t see it.”

  “Come on, it hasn’t been that long.”

  “It’s cute you think that,” she snorted.

  For the first time since Friday, I felt angry rather than guilty. All along, I’d thought I’d led him on somehow. I thought that maybe I’d been giving him relationship signals and it was all my fault he’d caught feelings. But if both Anette and Lourdes were saying the same thing…

  Anette seemed to see all these thoughts play out across my face. She sighed and squeezed my hand. “Aww, no sweetie, it’s not your fault. To be honest, I was more pissed off at him than I was with you. He should’ve known this wasn’t going to work out. But I guess that’s what you get when you think with your heart.”

  “Or with his dick,” I muttered. I was still upset with him. He shouldn’t have put me in that position in the first place.

  “And with his tongue, apparently,” Anette laughed. I was still chewing on the little ball of anger in my gut when she said something I don’t think I’ve ever heard her say. “You were right, too.” My eyes snapped up to hers in surprise. “All right, you’re gonna give yourself whiplash,” she laughed.

  “And what was I right about exactly?”

  She pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed. “About Amie. I’m glad I didn’t wham-bam her the other night. I might actually be able to take this one slow.”

  I held my own I-told-you-so in check. “That’s really good! I’m happy for you.”

  Anette slid down and rocked her head back. “She’s just so amazing. She’s got this artistic streak that drives me nuts but at the same time she’s really down to Earth and fun and…” She stopped, her skin flushing when she realized how much she was gushing.

  “It’s okay to admit you like someone,” I encouraged. “Opening yourself up isn’t the worst thing in the world. Neither is getting your heart smashed, believe it or not.” Yes, I totally see the hypocrisy in that, get off my back.

  “She has a couple pieces debuting in this fancy new bar opening on the weekend. Do you want to maybe go with me?”

  “Absolutely! I’ll be your wing-woman, no problem.”

  The final bubble of tension burst. The air was clear between us and we were essentially back to normal. I hid a yawn behind the palm of my hand before she dropped another bombshell on me.

  “So, how was your date with Mr. Hottie-McEnglish-Pants?” she smirked.

  “Lourdes told you?”

  “A little birdie might’ve mentioned something to me. Did you seriously hurt yourself while hiking with him?”

  “Yeah,” I replied sheepishly.

  “Did you faint or swoon? Did he touch your boobies when he gave you CPR? More importantly, did he slip you a little tongue during mouth-to-mouth? Inquiring minds are dying to know.”

  I slapped her leg as she wiggled her tongue at me. “God, no. Don’t ruin kissing for me, too,” I groaned. “When did you two talk?”

  “She called me right after you left.”

  I flashed my eyes at her and gave her a secret smile. “Then she’s already passing along outdated information.”<
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  Anette slammed her hands down on the sofa like an excited puppy. “What? What happened?”

  I filled her in on the upgrade, the amazing conversation during the flight, all the way up to how Clint handled Kevin in the airport.

  As our conversation came to a close, my yawns coming every couple minutes, I stretched my arms over my head. “I really need to get to sleep. Work is gonna suck in the morning.”

  We hugged goodnight and as we parted ways, I called out. “By the way, Lourdes didn’t mention anything else?”

  Anette frowned and squinted at me. “No…”

  “Nothing about a male model?” I teased, having a little too much fun at her expense.

  “No, what? What happened?” her interest obviously piqued.

  “You sure she didn’t say anything about me, a male model, and an infinity pool?”

  “You little brat!” she squealed. “Spill it! Now. On the floor, right now.”

  I fake yawned and stretched again. “Ah well.”

  “Aw, come on!”

  “Nope! Guess you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

  “Or until you update your blog,” she said with wink.

  Knowing I had a meeting with Clint at 10 a.m. had absolutely nothing to do with the full face of makeup, curled hair, and perfectly matched outfit I wore to work the next day. Nothing. Nothing at all. It was less looking good for him and more a way for me to gain control over the situation. If I felt like I looked good, my confidence would hopefully keep me from making a complete ass out of myself.

  At least, that’s what I told myself as I spent a half an hour curling my stick-straight hair.

  I deflected Abi’s questions about my weekend when she stuck her head inside my office. She seemed up for a good back-and-forth but I simply wasn’t in the mood. All my energy had to be put towards maintaining a professional appearance with Clint around.

  The first hour waiting in the office was pure torture. Toward the end, my heart jumped at every ding of the elevator. I’d busy myself, looking as though I were in the middle of something incredibly important just in case it was him. Multiple times I went through this act until Clint appeared at my door.