Page 37 of Something Cheeky

“Remember, I’ve always got your back, no matter what.”

Derek pulled her tighter into a side hug, but she turned around and used both arms to make it a full one. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he etched this moment into his brain forever. With Zoe by his side, he felt like he could conquer the world.

Chapter 17

Zoe quickly glanced at her phone before slipping it under a pile of fabric swatches. She tapped her tablet stylus on the cutting table in Prestige’s costume shop. Derek couldn’t be late because he’d never promised he’d be here at three o’clock. But she’d gotten used to him visiting every afternoon since she began working on the show.

“Will you stop sighing and pushing fabric around?” TJ asked from across the table. He waved a pile of fabric pieces at her like a pom-pom. “It’s very distracting.”

“I’m not sighing,” Zoe replied. She stared at her digitized sketches without focusing on them.

“Sure.” He dug through the fabric piles and sighed heavily. TJ picked up a pencil and tapped it on the table and huffed loudly.

“That’s not what I was doing!” She laughed and threw a piece of faux leather at him.

“Maybe not that loudly, but I can feel your broody energy all the way over here.”

“Our table is only three feet wide, TJ,” she pointed out.

“Whatever you call this”—he waved in a circle in front of her—“it’s sucking all my creativity.”

“Sorry. I guess I’m a little distracted,” Zoe admitted. She checked the time on her tablet. It was now eight minutes past three. Derek had come down to check on her every day by no later than 3:05p.m.

“He’ll be here with our caffeine hit soon,” said TJ with more sympathy in his voice this time.

“Who?” She feigned ignorance as she zoomed in on her sketch of the Emperor’s headdress. Danny was tall, so maybe she didn’t need to make it quite as big.

“Do I haveidiottattooed on this pretty face?” TJ shook his head. “We both know you’re waiting for Derek, your crush.”

“Excuse me. We’re friends. I don’t crush on people.”

“Now you’re lying to meandyourself.” TJ slid off his stool and walked around the table to stare her down.

“Derek and I haven’t talked in years. I only want to spend as much time as I can with him before he goes back to his busy, glamorous New York life.” Zoe wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince.

“In the six months we’ve known each other, you haven’t dated anyone.”

“I don’t date random people or swipe dating apps. It’s because—”

“Yes, you’re demisexual.” TJ cocked his hip. “You need an emotional connection to be sexually attracted to someone.”

“Did you memorize that from Wikipedia?”

“I did my research. That’s what friends do.”

“I’m touched,” she said dryly. “But I don’t have a crush on my college best friend.”

“Your face lights up like Times Square on New Year’s Eve when Derek walks through those doors at exactly three o’clock.”

Zoe laughed at TJ’s flair for dramatics. “Can’t I be happy to see him?”

“My dear, have you stopped to ask yourself why that is?”

“We’re just friends,” she said firmly. So what if she was excited that he checked in with her every afternoon? That’s how their friendship was in college, so why would it be any different now that they’d mended their rift?

“Even if you’re not crushing on him—and you are—that boy’s got a flame burning for you. Or he’s being financially irresponsible by buying us boba every day for the past week.” TJ returned to his side of the table.

Zoe’s jaw dropped. It was a ridiculous idea that Derek was interested in anything except friendship from her. She waited for a quip from TJ but thankfully he’d returned his attention to the swatches they’d pulled for the sisters.

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