Page 8 of Clean Out of Luck

That’s a complete and utter lie. My hat is hanging on the back of the chair at my kitchen table. But it’s the best excuse I can come up with.

SCARLETT

Have you ever considered cleaning your home and doing laundry occasionally? A lot of times you can unearth things there.

I glance around my house. It’s pretty clean right now. Sloppy, college-age Wade finally got his life together and started cleaning every once in a while. Emphasis ononce in a while. But I’m at least not a borderline slob anymore. Scarlett wouldn’t know this, though, because she hasn’t been over to my house since I got my own place.

WADE

I mean, I could look around, but I thought it would be easier to ask you.

SCARLETT

That’s because men are lazy when it comes to finding things.

WADE

Pretty please?

It’s a few minutes before she texts back, and I begin to wonder if she’s going to ghost me too.

SCARLETT

I don’t see your hat anywhere here at my place. Maybe you left it at the station and one of the guys took it.

So she’s already home, not still busy at work. Sheisavoiding Phoenix, then.

WADE

You might be right about that. OK, I’ll look for it.

SCARLETT

Well, let me know when you find it. You have me on the edge of my seat.

She sends an eye roll emoji to let me know she’s joking—as if I’m not well acquainted with her sense of humor. She has that dry sense of humor that can take a person by surprise, or go over some people’s heads.

WADE

Hey now, don’t make fun of someone’s favorite hat. This is sacred territory.

SCARLETT

I would never…

SCARLETT

…miss out on the opportunity to tease you.

Those two texts have me grinning like a fool as I message Phoenix.She’s so sassy.

WADE

She’s at home. I think she’s just avoiding you. If you stop hovering so much, she might actually reach out to you.

Chapter Three

Scarlett

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