Page 43 of Clean Out of Luck

“Scooter?” Claire asks as she whips around to look at Scarlett.

“Scarlett’s nickname,” I explain.

“Oh really? How interesting,” Claire says as she gives Scarlett an assessing stare.

Scarlett smiles sweetly back at her. “The thing is, Claire, you should never believe half of anything Wade says about me. It’s his goal to pester me until I have the urge to scream. You two are actually very similar in that way. Funny how I’ve never noticed it before.”

“Like when you went in the closet and screamed after you had to talk to Sean Morton?”

I frown at that. “Someone made you scream?”

Claire turns back to me. “Scarlett operates under the misconception that the storage closet is soundproof. It’s not.”

“Claire, have you ever heard that wise old saying thatsilence is a virtue?”

“Not where you’re concerned, dear,” Claire says as she reaches out to pat Scarlett’s shoulder blindly.

It’s like watching two bickering siblings. I’m not sure if I should step into the middle of it or if I’d be taking my life in my hands.

“Oh, hey, there you are!” Jack says as he walks around the corner. “I turned away for a second and you disappeared. Are you ready to grab some lunch?”

Jack walks up and smiles politely at Claire, then turns to grin at Scarlett. “I was hoping I’d see you again.”

It’s annoying to watch Scarlett blush under Jack’s attention. She didn’t do that the first time she met him. Granted, there were some distracting circumstances that night.

“Really? Because I don’t remember leaving a good impression that night,” she replies with a soft laugh.

“A bad impression from you?” Claire asks, her interest piqued. “What happened?”

Scarlett’s eyes go wide, but Jack just winks at Claire. “We had a good meal, and I learned she’s a bit of a salsa stealer.”

Scarlett relaxes and gives Jack his first real smile. I like that he’s not trying to embarrass her in front of her coworker. I don’t like that it seems to be making her viewhim in a different way. I want her to givemeone of her real smiles.

Not my roommate.

“Do you have time to grab lunch today?” Jack asks.

I start to answer him, then realize he’s still staring directly at Scarlett.

He’s asking her out to lunch. My temples start to pound in an obnoxious rhythm. Jack is asking her out. This should be fine with me. It shouldn’t bother me.

“Maybe—” Scarlett starts to say.

It bothers me.

“What about sending that file over to the attorneys?” Claire interrupts. Bless Claire and her brilliant mind. Work is exactly what Scarlett should be focusing on. Not Jack.

“Oh, yes, that’s right. I need to get that sent over by two. I don’t think I have time for lunch today,” Scarlett says.

Jack gives his best pouty, disappointed puppy look. It’s not a good look, but it does make people laugh. “What about grabbing dinner sometime?”

She looks at him with a smile. “I’m free tonight.”

Jack shakes his head. “I have to work this evening. But I’ll give you my number, then we can have dinner the second I get off work tomorrow night.”

I’d like to smack the guy. He deserves it. Hitting onmyScarlett.

And she’s flirting back. I think that’s the part that bothers me most.

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