Page 4 of Made Over by Meredith

“Am I to assume you aren’t open and honest with your conquests?” I asked.

“No, I totally am. Up to a point. I can tell them I want their face between my legs, but then you gotta leave before the sun comes up.” She held up two fingers, her nails aimed at me as she made her points. “Set the standard and be honest about your expectations. So, for you, we’re going to work on setting higher standards for you and the girls—is it only girls?” When I nodded, she went on, “Wanted to check, just in case. So, we set higherstandards for yourself because clearly you’re settling, and we’ll work on being honest and meeting expectations.”

Jimmy crossed his arms, grinning. “See? She’ll will get you sorted.”

I glanced at my sister, and she shrugged. “Mere is a really good educator. She might be able to break it down for you.”

Then I looked back to the woman in question, who extended her hand out to me. “We have a deal?”

“I guess.” I reluctantly wrapped my hand around hers, and she grinned brightly.

“Don’t sound so sad about it, Aiden. I’ll get you your happily ever after.”

Chapter 2

Meredith

Iwasn’t sure if it was because I was bored with my own love life, that I truly wanted to help Claire’s brother, or if an alien came down and lobotomized me without my being conscious it, but for whatever reason, I was excited about the little tutoring gig. I’d known the Hart clan for ages, ever since Claire and I had become friends freshman year at Kent State. I loved that crazy crew, from her yuppie turned hippie parents all the way down tothe twins, a pair of twenty-three-year-old boys who could not be more different. It was at those big get-togethers with the whole lot that I wished I was born into a family like theirs instead of a family like mine.

Maybe that’s why I scooted out from behind the table and nodded for Aiden to follow me to the bar, where I could begin my lessons and entwine myself more firmly into the Hart family. Aiden, in his overly-large polo shirt andawfulkhaki pants, stood next to me with his elbow on the bar top, eyeing me behind his glasses. “So, teach, what d’ya got for me?”

Flipping through my mental Rolodex of information, I catalogued what I knew about him. Aiden was two years younger than Claire and me; he worked as a CPA; loved video games and helping out on the Hart Family Farm; and apparently wanted a girlfriend. Underneath the somewhat dorky exterior, I knew he was full of wit and had a heart of gold, which was why he had no problem picking up girls. I simply needed to figure out why he couldn’tkeepthem.

“That’s your girl there, right?” I asked, vaguely tipping my head to the brunette across from us.

Aiden’s eyes flickered that way, and he nodded before clearing his throat. “Yup.”

“I’m gonna help myself to a drink here and hang out while you go talk to her. She’s with two friends, so you need to make sure you ingratiate yourself with them.”

He shrugged like it was no problem. He had three older sisters and sincere eyes, so I was sure it wasn’t an issue either.

I winked at him. “Lemme see what you got, big guy.”

He huffed a laugh, absently tugging at his shirt before scooting around the other end of the bar to approach the trio of young twenty-somethings.

Like all the Hart men, Aiden was tall, a little over six feet. They also all had broad shoulders and a good build, probablydue partly to genetics and partly to the manual labor required of them from growing up on the farm, although no one would know with his clothes. We’d cover fashion in unit two. But I figured we’d start easy for unit one: flirting.

I ordered a whiskey and soda with lots of ice and tapped my hot pink nails on the scratched bar top, attempting to drown out the juicy conversation happening to my left between two women, one of them being Debra. Debra was telling her friend about her husband’s new penis pills. Evidently, they were working out, andGo, Debra!

Instead of getting side-tracked, I slowly made my way to the other side of the bar so I could eavesdrop on Aiden. When Jimmy first pointed her out, I didn’t think anything of Aiden’s girl, but watching her laugh at something he said, I could admit she was really pretty with dusky brown skin and dimples when she smiled. A real girl next-door type. Perfect for Aiden.

“Hey, gorgeous,” some rando said from my right, and I slanted my head back to meet the dark gaze of the hipster. I wasn’t super particular with my bedmates, and from the way this guy licked his lips, it was clear he wanted in my pants and under my sheets, but I just wasn’t into it. Even if his beard would feel good between my thighs.

“Hey handsome, I’m here with friends,” I said, gesturing to Claire and Jimmy in the booth, canoodling.

He hit me with a crooked smile. “They look busy.”

“For the moment.” I glanced over my shoulder toward Aiden. As if he knew I was looking, he met my gaze briefly, offered a quick tip of his chin, then bent, reaching between his girl and one of her friends, to touch a cell phone. I focused my attention on the device covered in stickers and then on how his girl lit up, flapping her hands back and forth. Whatever it was, Aiden found something she loved, and he worked it.

Satisfied that he was doing well, I stood with my drink in hand, and smiled at the hipster still by my shoulder. “Enjoy your night.”

He turned. “I’d enjoy it more if we could share a drink and chat.”

“Another time, my friend.” Raising my drink up above me, I crossed back over to the other side of the bar, settling into the booth once again. I pulled my phone out of my purse to open my camera app to snap a photo of my best friend and future best friend-in-law, then held it up for them to see. “For your photo wall.”

Claire smiled. “Cute.”

They were getting married in July, only a few months away now, at the farm, of course. Claire and I shared a Pinterest board of wedding ideas. We planned to stick framed photos up on the wall of the barn. While Claire’s sisters were her bridesmaids, I was the maid of honor, and I was determined to give the happy couple whatever they wanted.

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