Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91058 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91058 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
She quiets everyone just as I answer. I’m smiling like a girl absolutely smitten over a man who has confused and annoyed and intrigued her for the better part of four months.
“Hello?”
“Scarlett. Hey.” He sounds sort of in awe. “Did you just call me?”
I hadn’t realized how much I missed his voice. Not just a lot, but a lot a lot.
I look up at Hannah’s friends as they wave their hands encouragingly.
“I did…”
He waits for me to go on, and I register how noisy the restaurant is in the background just when he asks where I am.
“Miami.”
“Miami?”
His shock makes me laugh. “For Hannah’s bachelorette party.”
He hums in understanding.
“And I’m at the dinner table with all the bridesmaids right now.”
“Hi!”
“Whattup!”
“Hiii!”
They all lean in and bellow into the phone, making him laugh.
“So you’re at a bachelorette party? Got it.” A brief pause ensues, then, “Why the call?”
I flatten my sweaty palm over my napkin.
“Well, it was part of a truth or dare game.”
“Okay…”
“It was really silly and I should let you know I’ve had lots of cocktails today, and some gross shot thing they made me do before we left the house, and now I think I’ve had most of this Dom Pérignon by myself. Anyway, what are you doing?”
He laughs. “I’m at home, in bed.”
Oh right, it’s nearly 11 p.m.
I wince. “Sorry! Oh my god. I’ll let you go.”
Jordy rips the phone out of my hand, sensing that I’m not at all close to revealing the truth.
“Mystery man, don’t hang up!” She turns and covers the phone to keep me from grabbing it. When she’s assured he’s still on the line, she continues, “We made Scarlett call you for a dare just like she said. Yeah, we asked her what guy gave her the best orgasm of her life, and I’m delighted to inform you that you sir are the lucky winner!” She drops the gameshow host voice when she adds dryly, “We thought you’d want to know.”
By this point, I have my arms crossed on top of the table and my forehead resting down on top of them. Embarrassment on embarrassment on embarrassment, that’s what this feels like. I won’t be able to get up. To walk out of here. To ever show my face in the Elwood Hoyt offices ever again.
Jordy holds the phone back up to my ear. “So here, tell him.”
“I’m sorry” is all I can muster.
Hudson chuckles. “Don’t be.”
“This is weird. I shouldn’t have called. I’m sorry.”
I can’t seem to stop apologizing.
“You think you’ll be able to get home safely?” is what this peach of a man asks me after everything Jordy just told him.
I take the phone from Jordy and sit up. “I think so.”
“Are you going anywhere after dinner?”
“Maybe to a club?”
“Can you call me when you get home?”
“Won’t you be tired?”
“Scarlett.” God, I love his no-nonsense tone. “Call me when you get home.”
Jordy hears this and, loudly enough for him to hear, responds, “Okay, daddy.”
The girls around the table burst out laughing, but Hudson doesn’t. I can’t even begin to imagine what he’s thinking right now. We haven’t had a full-fledged conversation since we spoke in his office and now I’m drunk-dialing him from Miami?!
“I’ll let you go,” I say timidly.
“Love you!” Jordy quips.
“Bye! Love you!”
“Bye, daddy!”
I hang up before the girls can say anything else.
“Dude, he sounded HOT,” Jordy says, fanning her face.
“He is, isn’t he?” Hannah asks.
I just nod, helpless.
We do end up at a quintessential Miami club, and it’s filled with the most beautiful women I have ever seen. They should be making us take out the trash or clean the urinals or something—we do not belong here. Even still, Jordy somehow gets us into the VIP section where she’s chatting up a legitimate NBA basketball player! He’s so tall she has to shout her questions up at him.
I’m so excited about the scene until I’m not. I hit a brick wall somewhere between the 28th and 29th Calvin Harris EDM remix blasting straight into my ear canals, and I’m dead tired, about to fall asleep on the couch when a cute guy approaches me.
Okay! He’s scruffy and blond and looks very well dressed. I should recognize him maybe. Was he on Summer House?
I barely get his name. I think it’s Jared or Jerry. I’m about to ask him to repeat it when Hudson calls me. I’ve been clutching my phone on the off chance he called, which felt stupid right up until he actually does.
I answer straight away, right in the middle of this new man asking me a question. “Hi.”
“Are you home yet?”
“No, are you?”
He laughs. “Where are you guys now?”
“I’m in a loud club and I’m talking to some guy and I don’t know his name. What’s your name?”
Again, I can’t tell if it’s Jared or Jerry. He really needs to enunciate.