Page 13 of The Prospect

“Sorry!” Hazel immediately apologizes. “I just couldn’t find anything to wear and?—”

“I don’t give a toss about that,” Amira cuts her short. “So, are you on a date or not?

“No,no,” Hazel stutters. “We’re uh—not together, Amira.” Hazel grinds her teeth as she speaks. “This is Greenie—Daniel Green,” she corrects herself with a cough before gesturing in my direction. “My best friend, remember?” She looks at Amira expectantly, hopeful she’ll remember who I am.

“Ah, Daniel Green. Yes!” Amira nods, resting her hands on either side of her chin as she smiles over at me.

Fuck, the more I look at her, the better she gets. She’s got this gorgeous tan of her skin with bright green eyes, and if the look of her isn’t enough to stiffen me beneath my trousers, the endearing scent she’s wearing is.

“Nice to meet you.” She reaches across the table to shake my hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you…” She flashes Hazel a look—a suspicious one as her hand disappears within the breath of my own.

Hazel glares at her, eyes full of the word “stop,” leading me to wonder what exactly has been said about me. I want to ask but I bite my tongue, left daydreaming about what Amira’s tastes like instead.

“So, what are you doing here then?” Amira pulls her hand out of mine and reaches for my pint, mouthing, “Do you mind?”

Fuck, do I? Not in the slightest. I nod.

“It was a last-minute thing,” Hazel reassures her as Amira brings the glass to her lips, takes a slow, controlled sip and leaves behind a smudge of lipstick in return. “Daniel wanted to come out and talk and here we are…” She gestures between the two of us. “Just talking.Just friends.”

“Thanks for the reminder.” Amira rolls her eyes, making me start to question why Hazel needed to clarify that last detail.I peer down at her, ready to ask, but she jumps back into conversation and beats me to it.

“Enough about us. What are you doing here?” Hazel pries. “I thought you said you were going to a party? Remember, the one you were so insistent I join you in going to.”

“I went. It stunk.” Amira shrugs before flashing Hazel a suggestive smirk. “Besides, there’s always hot guys at the pub. I mean…” Her eyes fall back onto me, visibly undressing me with her stare. It makes my stomach churn from the inside out.

Is she flirting with me?

I clear my throat to break the tension between the three of us, but all it does is prompt Hazel to say, “Why don’t you go talk to them then?”

I can’t tell if Hazel’s comment is backhanded or not, given that Amira leaps out of her chair and demands my full attention.

“Good idea,” She smirks. “I’ll do that and let you two get back to your…talking.” She breaks away from the table, but not before she takes an extra second to place a careful hand on my shoulder and whisper, “It was nice to finally meet you, Daniel. I hope to see you around soon.”

Left entranced in a starry-eyed gaze, I gulp in place of a response, left watching the sway of Amira’s short skirt as she struts away like a downright supermodel.

Christ.

“Hello?” Hazel physically has to snap in front of my face to draw me back into reality. “Are you listening, Green?”

“Sorry.” I shake my head, commanding my attention back over to her. “I was just?—”

“Staring at Amira’s arse, yeah, I saw. See, that’s the difference between you and me.” She furrows her brows, sulking as she folds her arms across her chest.

“What is? That I stare at Amira’s arse and you don't?”

“No, you dickhead!” She pushes against my chest. “The difference is that you complain about being single but don’t see the way girls fawn all over you.”

“Girls donotfawn all over me.”

“No?” she responds. “Then what was that?” She points back. “The way Amira just caressessed your shoulder—strategic.”

I feel a surge of energy, unable to hold back the boyish smile on my face. “Wait…are you saying that she likes me?”

Hazel sighs. “The touch? The sip of your drink? The way she stared you up and down? All of the signs are there, Green. It’s obvious. Don’t be so naive.”

“Damn, Hazel.” I’m shocked by all the small details she picked up on. “Are you an expert at love or something?”

Hazel scoffs, eyes proud but shoulders frail. “I mean, clearly not. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be single. That’s the problem, Green. I can see all the signs in everyone else, but when it comes to me…I see nothing.”

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