Page 27 of Whatever You Want

“Right.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s my crazy ex-wife.”

He sighed. “If you tell me that I have nothing to worry about, then I believe you. I’m sorry I came across as a jerk. I care about both of you. I don’t want to see either one of you get hurt.”

Marco still didn’t know what happened that night I drove Ava home. I’m actually surprised he hasn’t asked me about it. I’ve kept that kiss to myself, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to say anything about our little trip to the state park. I felt sleazy lying to my best friend, and I knew the right thing to do would be to come clean about how I felt, but I was one hundred percent certain it would only make things worse.

The front door was yanked open; Amelia stepped forward. “The girls are getting their things. You can swing by and pick them up whenever you’re done. No rush.”

“Thanks.” I swallowed hard and looked over her shoulder. Ava and I stared at each other for a few seconds, neither one of us knowing what to do. Brina and Madison came skipping around the side of the house.

I waved my daughter over. “Don’t forget your inhaler,” I reminded her, running my hands along the top of her hair.

She patted her shorts. “It’s in my pocket.”

“Good. Now give me a kiss.”

She groaned, almost on the edge of whining. “Dad, I’m too old.”

“You will never be too old, and if you want to go to the movies later like we planned, you’ll give me a kiss right here.” I pointed to my cheek.

She gave me a kiss that lasted all of a half-second before running over to the car. Sometimes it felt like she was nine going on nineteen, and it made me want to scoop her up in my arms and lock her away.

Ava hugged Madison goodbye, and I listened as they made plans to paint nails and do something with face masks later.

We stood on the porch side by side, waiting for everyone to load into the car, buckle their seat belts, and drive away. Once we were alone, she gave me a nervous smile and disappeared into the house, leaving me no choice but to follow her.

“You invited him to dinner?” Kara gave Michele, our other stylist, a high-five. I already regretted telling them.

“As a thank you,” I stressed, making quick work of cleaning up my station. “We are just friends.” The words felt like a lie coming out of my mouth. There were so many lingering glances and innocent touches that I questioned my sanity at times.

Logan stayed for most of the afternoon to help me unpack and put everything away. I knew it was his weekend with Brina, and I felt guilty taking that time away from him. It was a long day, and by the time he left, he looked exhausted. I told myself the least I could do was cook him a meal. So, why was I feeling so nervous about it?

“I can watch Madison for you,” Kara offered.

“It’s not a date.” I turned to my friends, who looked like they didn’t believe me.

“If you invited him to dinner, I’m pretty sure he’s thinking it’s a date,” Michele pointed out.

“Clearly, I have no idea what I’m doing.” Saying the words out loud was embarrassing. It made me realize how out of touch I was. “It’s been over a decade since my last first date. What the hell do I even wear?”

When Drew picked me up for the very first time, all he had to do was walk across campus and pick me up outside my dorm room. We went out for pizza and a cheap movie. Every college student back then lived in jeans, so the only thought I put into my night was how much makeup I wanted to wear or if my hair looked better up or down.

Michelle squinted her eyes at me, considering my words. “Honey, things haven’t changed that much. You’ll be fine.”

I shifted my attention to the hairstyling products at my station. “I was with the same man for ten years.” A flush took over my cheeks as I looked over my shoulder, making sure no one could hear me. “Drew and Logan are complete opposites.”

Drew and I were both young when we started dating. We grew up and matured together. We were familiar and predictable. There was nothing about Logan Blake that was predictable. He was unexpected and had a way of surprising me. Just when I thought I had him all figured out, I would unpeel another layer and find something else I liked about him. He was new and exciting, and I worried at times if I would end up in over my head.

Kara placed her hands on her hips. “You need to stop comparing him to Drew. It’s not fair and won’t do you any good. I understand this is new, but every relationship is different. Take things slow, see if it blossoms into anything. Have a little fun, enjoy the adventure and hopefully the mind-blowing sex.”

I held my hand up. “This isn’t a relationship.” No matter how many times I tried to explain, she still didn’t seem to get it. I wasn’t even going to address the sex. Not to mention, her advice wasn’t helping my stress level at the moment. “It’s a thank you dinner.”

“It’s a fresh start.”

“I understand that.” I gave Kara a pointed look as Michele walked away. “That’s why I’m asking for your help. Now, can you please just give me a little advice on what to wear?”

She took her time looking me over. While I wasn’t embarrassed about my looks, I wasn’t confident either.

I pulled my hair back and adjusted my skirt while she walked around me in a circle like she was getting ready to carve a statue from a block of marble. “I’d say something tight and low-cut.” I rolled my eyes and grumbled under my breath as she continued. “Show some skin, maybe some high heels and accessories that will draw attention to your assets.”

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