Page 8 of The Wingman

“Pippa, you’re on break from your tour for a bit?” I ask.

She nods, tucking a lock of honey-blond hair behind her ear. “Until the wedding in April. I’m writing another album until then, between wedding planning and taking Daisy out on lots of forest walks.” She shoots me a hesitant expression. “Is it safe to assume Kit isn’t coming to the wedding?”

“Does that screw things up? I can find a date if you need the numbers to even out or whatever.”

“No, I figured you’d go with Hayden.”

“What?” My eyes go wide.Like a date?“Why? Did he say that?”

“No,” she says slowly, glancing at Hazel. “But you’re roommates now, right? Isn’t that what he said?”

The air whooshes out of my lungs. “Yes. Roommates.Right. That makes sense. And we’re friends. He’s probably already bringing a date.”

Someone tall, with long dark hair and huge boobs, like the women he always dates.

Pippa and Hazel glance at each other. “He isn’t,” Pippa says.

“Oh. That’s good.” My eyes go wide. “I mean, notgood. I just mean I’m relieved. No!” I shake my head. “This is coming out all wrong. I like hanging out with Hayden, and that’s it.”

And the thought of having to watch his date laugh at his jokes and touch him all night makes me feel weird.

They exchange a weighted look.

“What?” My eyes dart between them. I’m being so weird. They probably regret asking me to hang out with them.

Hazel sucks in a breath. “We suspect?—”

“Nothing,” Pippa interrupts her. “We suspect nothing. It’s great. Living together seems like a good thing.”

“It is…” Eyes narrowed, I bite my lip.

Hazel raises an eyebrow. “Say it.”

“He won’t let me pay rent.”

Pippa presses her lips into a line, trying not to smile, and Hazel grins openly.

“Really?” Hazel asks like it’s the best thing she’s ever heard. “He won’t let you pay rent? Interesting. Because he’s such a good friend?”

Pippa elbows her. “Stop it.”

I blow out a long breath, thinking about how I cornered him in the kitchen this morning. “He’s so frustrating. Every time I bring it up, he changes the subject, and when I pressed him on it, he said not to worry about it. That he’s not exactly hurting for money.”

The e-transfers keep timing out when he convenientlyforgets to accept them or pretends to lose the notifications in his email.

Hazel laughs. “These guys are so fucking cocky.”

“I don’t want to take advantage of him.”

“You’re not.” She rolls her eyes. “He loves having you there. And I’m sure you can find ways to make it up to him that have nothing to do with money.”

My eyebrows shoot up as heat races through me. “Uh…”

“That sounded more suggestive than I meant. I just mean, these guys can buy anything, so give him what money can’t buy.” She shrugs. “Just be his friend. Watch his games and cheer for him. Drag him to my yoga classes so I can kick his ass. Watch that weird fantasy show with him.”

“The Northern Sword? Uh, it’s not weird. It’s only the best fantasy romance series I’ve ever read.”

Hazel wrinkles her nose. “Not you, too.”

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