Page 52 of Bad Boy Neighbor

“But it’s breaking girl code,” Lana complains, finishing off her champagne. “Okay, change of subject. Explain to me why Olly’s in such a foul mood?”

Where do I even begin?

But if anyone will understand, it’s got to be Lana.

“Before you and Sebastian officially hooked up, did you fight a lot? I mean, fighting’s not good, right?”

Lana shakes her head, letting out a loud sigh.

“All we did was fight. Hot, cold, yes, no. But I couldn’t ignore the fact I was falling in love with him. It’s just one of those things. We didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things, but what mattered, we did.”

“Oliver is so?—”

“Stubborn, arrogant, irrevocably in love with you?”

I’m blown away by her comment.

In love with me?

Oliver is many things, but not once has he shown me any signs of being in love with me. Maybe he wants to strip me naked and have his way with me, but not in love with me. No chance.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lana raises her eyebrow, followed by a crisp nod. “So, we’re still in denial phase. Gotcha.”

The heat begins to rise behind my eyelids, my mouth becoming incredibly dry. I lift my glass, drinking the remainder of my wine, accidentally letting out an unladylike hiccup.

“I need more wine,” I beg quietly.

Lana breaks out into laughter. “Okay, tomorrow night. You, me, and a bar with old school music. How about it?”

“You got yourself a date.”

This bar is exactly what I need—a little retro, not overly crowded, and the vibe is chilled.

The music playing is all eighties from Madonna to Lionel Ritchie and even some David Bowie. Although I wasn’t born in that era, I have a good appreciation for music allowing you to unwind and let loose.

The bartenders are extremely good-looking. A bit young for me, but still worth admiring from the other side of the countertop. They shake the cocktails by hand, chatting up the other women with their sexy grins. Dressed in black buttoned shirts with pink flamingos scattered across the fabric, they complement the plain, dark walls and neon pink sign that reads Flamingo Bar.

After my third glass of chardonnay, I’m sure the air is getting thicker until things get blurry, and we both fall into a fit of hysterics watching an older man do the robot by himself on the dance floor.

My breath comes in quick gasps between my unstoppable giggles. Tears gather in the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over as Lana clutches onto her stomach, barely able to speak as she gestures for me to look at his moonwalk.

“Stop!” I latch onto Lana’s arm, barely able to breathe. “I can’t watch this anymore.”

We are both bending over the bar, consumed by the hilarity of the poor old man who doesn’t care at all who watches him until Sebastian appears beside us.

“There you are,” Sebastian greets, leaning in to kiss Lana..

Mid laugh, I stop to see Oliver standing beside Sebastian.

Great! What the hell are they doing here?

It’s like I cannot escape him no matter what I do.

“Oh my God. Did you leave the baby with Bubbles?” Lana panics, stumbling off the bar stool.

“Relax. Lizzie is feeling better and popped by. What are we drinking?”

---