Page 21 of Head Over Skates

"Jaime, Maggie, this is my neighbor, Cody," I say tightly.

Jaime gives him a thin smile while Maggie just lifts her chin in cool acknowledgement. They can sense my discomfort.

"Wow, look at you lovely ladies," says Cody, his gaze bouncing between them. "How is it that I didn't know Emily had such hot friends?"

I resist the urge to gag. Could he be any more of a sleazeball?

"We were just having a girls' night in," I hint pointedly. "So like I said, now's not really a good time..."

But Cody is already strolling around the living room, making himself at home. "Nonsense! There's always time for pretty girls and cold beer. Got anything to drink?"

He winks at me before flopping down on the couch next to Jaime. She immediately scoots away, shooting me a pleading look.

I cross my arms, gearing up to insist he leave, when Maggie pipes up.

"Actually, Cody, we were just discussing our book club." She holds up the empty wine bottle. "This pinot grigio paired perfectly with our latest read."

I have to suppress a smile. Clever Mags.

Cody's face falls slightly. "Oh, a book club? Not really my scene. What are you reading?"

"'Infinite Jest' by David Foster Wallace," Maggie replies smoothly.

Cody looks lost. "Is that some cheesy romance novel?"

"Oh no, it's an extremely dense, complex work of postmodernist fiction," Maggie says. "With over a thousand pages of allegorical themes and allusions. But I'm sure a smart guy like you would appreciate it."

She bats her eyes at him innocently. I nearly choke trying to hold back my laughter.

Cody tugs at his collar, suddenly looking ready to flee. "Uh, yeah, maybe I'll check it out."

He stands abruptly. "Anyway, I should probably head out. Have fun with your book talk, ladies."

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Maggie asks sweetly. "We were just about to discuss the existential philosophy underlying the characters' development."

Cody is already halfway to the door. "Yeah, uh, sounds fascinating, but I just remembered I have this...thing. Gotta run!"

The door slams behind him. As soon as he's gone, the three of us burst into laughter.

"Oh my god, that was amazing!" I say, collapsing onto the couch. "The look on his face when you brought up postmodernism!"

Maggie takes a mock bow. "Why thank you, thank you. Just doing my part to scare off scummy men."

"Ugh, what a creep," says Jaime, shaking her head. "How do you put up with him as a neighbor, Em?"

I sigh, the laughter fading. "I try to avoid him as much as possible. But he's always finding excuses to drop by uninvited."

Maggie squeezes my shoulder. "That's not okay. Let us know if you ever need back up. We've got no problem helping fend off harassment from entitled jerks."

Like Owen.

I smile, feeling a rush of gratitude. I really lucked out with these two.

"Thanks, I appreciate that. Hopefully he got the message tonight."

Maggie lifts the empty wine bottle, waving it enticingly. "This calls for a refill! Here's to girls supporting girls."

She returns from the kitchen with a freshly opened bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. As she tops off our glasses, I notice her sly smile.

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