Page 107 of Strictly the Worst

I have to work in the morning. Probably head out after lunch. Should get there by six pm if the traffic is kind. – Linc

Shit. I hate driving in rush hour. Can’t you ignore work for one day? – Brooks

Who would have thought Linc would be the workaholic among us? – Eli

He’s not a workaholic. He just wants to bone a woman at work. Bet you a thousand dollars that’s why. – Liam

What woman? – Holden

Linc has a woman? Is it that French beauty that keeps tagging him on Instagram? – Eli

Why the hell are you stalking me on Insta? – Linc

I don’t. But Mac does. We have a bet going. – Eli

What kind of bet? – Linc

All the wives do. They’re running a lottery on when you’ll settle down. Ava’s got this year and she’s absolutely excited about this woman. – Myles

She’s not French. And it’s none of your business. - Linc

Uhoh. Must be serious. Linc’s never usually coy about women. – Eli

Can you all fuck off? Some of us have work to do. – Linc

Is she in New York? – Holden.

I let out a mouthful of air.

Yes. – Linc

That’s it, I’m not answering any more questions. I start to feel guilty, because I did the same thing to Holden when he and Blair started dating. Gossip is always fun when you’re not the one at the center of it.

Bring her to the wedding. We’ve had a couple of cancellations so there’s plenty of space. – Holden.

Okay, one more reply and I’m done.

I’m not bringing her to the damn wedding. You’ll scare her off before we’ve even started. I’m turning my phone off now. Brooks, I’ll pick you up at two on Friday. – Linc.

TESSA

“Come with me to my brother’s wedding this weekend,” Linc murmurs as we sit on his sofa watching a movie. He’s sitting in the corner of the sofa, his legs stretched out, his feet resting on the coffee table. I’m curled up next to him, my head on his shoulder. He’s absentmindedly playing with my hair.

“What?” I ask. “Don’t be silly. I’ve never met him. He won’t want me there. Anyway, I need to be here for Zoe.”

“She doesn’t come home until Sunday,” he tells me. “I can have you back home by then.”

He’s been a little off all evening. He waited for me after work, then drove me to my place so I could check on the bathroom renovations, which are going great, thanks to the hard work of the contractors. It looks like everything but the tile floors will be done by the end of the weekend, and since I’m doing the tiling, their job will be done. They’ve promised to make sure the shower and toilet are usable by end of day Saturday, so Zoe and I will be able to move back in on Sunday.

He kisses my jaw. “I have to fly to France on Monday. I need more time with you before then.”

I smile at him. “You’ll be back though, right? I think we can survive a week apart.”

There’s a little twinge in my stomach. Because staying with him this week has been… perfect. They say you don’t know somebody until you live with them, but Linc has been exactly how I thought he would be.

He’s lived alone for a long time. He’s self sufficient. He’s over the top extravagant with money. And he likes having sex. A lot.

Truth be told, I’m going to miss this. I’d forgotten what it was like to have another adult to talk to in the evenings. Even when Jared was living with us, he wasn’t really there. Looking back, I haven’t had this kind of intimacy for a long time.

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