Page 49 of Mr. Infuriating

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Gretchen

It felt like if Gabe and I went somewhere for dinner, it’d be a date—no matter what he wanted to call it.

Even though we were staying in, and I was cooking, I still styled my hair and “made myself pretty,” as Laura liked to call it. But the evening would be casual, less date-like.

I can keep it superficial.

I knew I was full of shit.

That wasn’t how I operated. I liked the guy. I wouldn’t have taken him home if I hadn’t. But I also knew there was zero chance of anything coming of it.

I should have taken him up on his offer last night to leave once we’d done the deed. But even as I thought it, I had to admit that I was glad I hadn’t. It’d been nice to wake up next to him.

Now, I just needed to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t going anywhere. I was living in fantasyland this weekend, but come Sunday, I’d be back to my real life. Juggling work, being a mom, and making ends meet.

Maybe meeting Gabe and not knowing who he was at first had been fortuitous. I never would have gone home with him if I’d known he was the guy I’d reamed out via text message earlier yesterday. And I doubt very much he would even haveconsidered letting me make payments had I not actually ridden his dick.

And even though that wasn’t why I’d done it, I guess some people would still think that it made me cheap.

Of course, to those people, going home with a man I’d just met would confirm it.

Hell,Iwas one of those people. I didn’t do one-night stands.

And yet, I had.

I couldn’t find it in me to regret it, though. I’d had the best sex of my life, and it just so happened that I might be able to figure out a way to keep my house in the process.

Win-win.

And I was going to continue telling myself that.

Chapter Nineteen

Gabe

Only two cars were in Flannigan’s parking lot when I pulled in, a far cry from how crowded it’d been the night before.

I drove up next to a late-model silver Accord and put the truck in park before turning to face her, only to find her sporting an amused smile.

“What makes you think the Porsche isn’t mine?”

It was my turn to smirk.

“Because it’s my brother’s.”

“Oh! You don’t think he’s still out with Laura, do you?”

“The only reason his car would be here is if he’s inside. He’d never leave his car unattended overnight. Not to mention, he doesn’t do sleepovers.”

Then again, neither did I. But here we were.

Gretchen nodded slowly, her mouth turned down like she disapproved. That made me tilt my head.

“I was kind of under the impression your friend was on the same page? She didn’t think it’d be more, did she?”

“No, I think they had the same thing in mind. A good time, one night. Nothing more.” Her smile was forced when she glanced over at me. “That’s the unspoken agreement when you leave a bar with someone you just met, right? Or, in our case, we actually said it out loud.”

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