Page 11 of Stripped

Somehow, her cheeks pinked and she paled at the same time. “Are we going to be in trouble?”

“No. Zed's a good guy. Just no more sex at work.”

She smiled. “That is actually a huge relief. I've hated keeping this secret.” She turned back to Zane. “Anyway, my boyfriend is a bouncer and he's like super protective of me and it's just so sexy.”

Zane glanced up and gave a slight nod, before he returned to his food, looking supremely uncomfortable.

Carly chewed in silence for several moments while I finally dug into my, now cool, grits. “You know,” Carly said. “Abby's got like zero game, but she'd make someone a great girlfriend. She's like seriously the nicest person I know.”

Zane straightened, looking interested. “Really? Zero game?”

Of course, that's what he would latch onto.

She nodded, eyes wide. “She's so pretty and smart and sweet, you'd think she could get any guy she wants, but she is totally the worst—”

“I'm not looking for a relationship,” I said.

Carly leaned over the table toward Zane. “She wants to move to Denver, get some big-time, high-paying job so she can afford to travel and see the world. She thinks a boyfriend would hold her back, but I say the right guy could go with her, right? I mean who wants to go to Paris alone?”

“I do,” I said. “I—”

Carly shook her head. “You know, this really hot guy was totally into Abby this summer. He was a tourist here from Denver, so he would have been totally perfect for her. He tried to flirt with her, being super cute and she totally didn't pick up on it, told him she—”

“He was not flirting with me,” I said. “He was just complimenting the mask you'd painted on my face.”

Carly rolled her eyes. “See what I mean? Zero. Game.”

“Did you know her in high school?” Zane asked. “She must have had game then. I bet she was a cheerleader or the prom queen or something.”

If only he knew.

Carly scrunched up her nose. “She totally went to the same high school, she would have been a couple years ahead of me, but I don't remember her being on the cheerleading team. Were you, Abby?”

“Nope.” I didn't have time for extra-curricular activities. I was working at the local flower shop to help my parents pay the bills.

“Did you have any game back then?” Zane asked, amusement dominating his expression along with something else I couldn't identify.

“I didn't have time for game,” I said. “And I sure as hell didn't want to date any of the losers I went to school with and get stuck in this town.”

Carly didn't even flinch, though she had no intention of leaving Aspens Whiten. She knew how I felt about the place, but she genuinely loved it. “That's what she says, but she's got nothing holding her here and she hasn't left yet.”

“No boyfriends at all in high school?” Zane asked.

“None.” Why the hell was he fixating on this?

“Right,” Carly said. “So, don't be put off if you flirt with her and she totally misses it. Don't give up on her, she's good people and I can totally see that you two would be perfect together.”

“Carly,” I said. “Zane is not—”

Thank goodness for a knock at the door. I leapt up and hurried to open it. A woman, short and lithe with thick, chestnut brown hair that fell to her waist in shiny waves, stood outside. She had big, brown eyes like a Disney princess and a smile that glowed. “Hiya,” she said. “I've got clothes for Zane.” She hefted a duffel bag that was bigger than her in one hand.

“Come on in,” I said. “He's just eating breakfast.”

“No thanks. I've got a gazillion errands to run in town.” She stopped just inside the doorway and dropped the duffel on the floor. “See ya, Zane,” she said once she was inside and could see Zane at the table.

“Thanks, Rowan,” he said with a wave in her direction.

Rowan's grin widened and she threw her arms around me in a spontaneous hug. “I hope it works out between you two,” she said in a low voice. “He needs a happy ever after.”

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