Page 32 of I'd Never Date my Brother's Best Friend

“Sean…”

“Okay, fine.” I raise my arms in surrender. “Your humming surprised me.”

She chuckles softly, not taking her eyes off me. “I prefer to hum,” she says. “Because my singing is terrible.”

“Really?” I laugh with her and smirk. “I honestly can’t imagine you singing. It’s such a happy thing to do.”

“What?” She gapes. “Do you think I frown and grumble all over the house when I’m alone?” There’s amusement in her eyes, and it spurs me on to continue. Jessica has always fascinated me, but this side of her is new, and I can’t stop myself from wanting to get to know her better.

“Well, what do you do at home all day?”

She thinks for a moment. “Nothing, now that I think about it. I mostly write, but when I run out of ideas, I take a break and try to find inspiration by singing and dancing in my living room.”

“Oh, to be a fly on the wall.”

I’ve hung out with Jessica and Jamie for years, but have never seen this side of her. She’s relaxed, unbridled, and completely at ease with me. While I love the daring and stubborn side of Jessica because it keeps me on my toes, I’m realizing that I enjoy this part even more. It’s soft, silky, and funny. I could talk to her like this all day.

“Here’s your lunch.” A waitress appears with a tray and a smile. I smile and thank her. Her gaze lingers on me, and I look away and focus on Jessica, hoping that is a clear enough indication that I’m not interested. Jessica is oblivious to the exchange, and digs into her food. I breathe a sigh of relief as the waitress leaves with a simple, “Enjoy.”

“I haven’t had anything to eat since last night,” Jessica says as she wolfs down the food. “If this food had arrived a second later, I would’ve collapsed from starvation.”

“Dramatic, much?” I shake my head at her, delving into my lunch. We finish eating quickly, but decide to relax for a few more minutes before leaving.

“I don’t know why you think I need new clothes,” Jessica snaps at me after I outline a game plan of shops we should hit in the afternoon. Her good mood from lunch has passed quickly. “I have some dresses I haven’t even worn in my closet.”

I shake my head. “Let them stay in your closet.”

Jessica’s head whips in my direction. “I think I get what’s going on here,” she narrows her eyes and crosses her arms over her stomach. “You think my outfits are terrible. You think you can do a better job picking out my clothes then I can. That’s why you want to choose an outfit for me.”

I don’t think Jessica’s outfits are terrible. She’s beautiful and always looks gorgeous in whatever she wears, but the truth is Jessica dresses to blend in. That isn’t a bad thing, but for tomorrow, I want her to stand out. It’s a speed dating event, and other women will be there. I want her to be the center of attention. When she enters the room, I want heads to turn and people to notice her. I can’t tell her all that, so I shrug.

“Tomorrow is a special occasion, and I just want to make sure you have a new outfit for it.”

I can tell from the scowl on her face she doesn’t believe me, and a roll of her eyes solidifies that. We leave the restaurant and drive straight to one of the clothes shops in town. I already have a vision of what I want to see Jessica in, and as soon as we arrive, I start to search the racks for it. She makes a show of huffing and sprawling out on the sofas, but I catch a gleam in her eyes when I show her an outfit. We spend another hour before I take her home, with three outfits in her shopping bag. We’re prepared for tomorrow, and I can’t wait to see her dressed up.

Chapter 14

Jessica

I twirl in front of the mirror, my heart beating wildly as I admire my reflection. I’ve never worn a dress as pretty as this. It’s scary and exciting. The dress has a halter top with an empire waist. The bottom half is loose and stops at my knees. As I twirl the skirt lifts and I giggle. I feel so unlike myself and a bit giddy. It’s a pink color with a small, subtle floral pattern. The pink is the same exact color that Elle Woods would wear. In fact, this whole ensemble seems very Elle Woods-ish from head to toe. It’s not something I would’ve ever chosen for myself, but I must admit that it makes me feel soft and feminine. I stare at myself, not quite recognizing the person staring back at me. I can’t help but smile at my reflection. Sean has a very good eye; I will give him that.

As if on cue, there’s a knock on the door, and I freeze. That’s Sean, and a glance at the clock tells me he’s right on time. Seven o’clock. It’s the night of the speed dating social event that’s taking place in Evelyn’s bakery, and Sean is driving me there. I’ve been expecting him for a few minutes now, but suddenly, I feel shy and self-conscious. Of course, I tried on this dress at the shop yesterday, but it was brief since we were in a hurry. Now, I feel exposed.

The knock sounds again, and I walk toward the door, rubbing my palms down my dress to try to keep my nerves at bay.

“Jessica!” Sean yells, causing me to purse my lips. “We’re going to be late if you—”

I pull open the door annoyed at his nagging. Sean’s eyes widen as he pauses mid-sentence. His gaze travels slowly from my head to my feet, and I can feel a tingle every place his gaze touches. Finally he looks back into my eyes. I can’t help but notice the appreciation in them, and I almost melt to the ground in a puddle of bashfulness as my annoyance slips away. This is all foreign to me.

“Jessica,” Sean chokes out. “You look beautiful.”

I feel a blush creep up my cheeks at his compliment. “Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself,” I add to diffuse the tension building up.

“Ready?”

“Let me grab my bag.” I return to the living room and grab the tiny black purse on the couch. My phone and other essentials are in it. I follow Sean outside, and like a gentleman, he helps me into the passenger seat before entering the driver’s side.

“Are you nervous?” He asks, breaking the silence.

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