Page 5 of The Odds of Happily Ever After
“Way to leave a girl hanging here.” She bumped her shoulder against mine.
“Give me fifteen minutes.”
“Fine. I’ll see you out front, then we can catch up over dinner.” With that, she flounced outside.
I’d planned to eat at home to cut down on expenses after my trip, but I couldn’t turn her down—not that she gave me the chance to. Guess that meant I’d stick to sandwiches and instant noodles for the rest of the week.
Alone again, I went to work securing the cash register and wiping down the counters. Like I always did, I double-checked that everything was locked up tight, giving extra attention to the electronics section that held items worth more than my entire bank account. I couldn’t afford to lose any inventory, especially since this was my first job ever.
Satisfied with my final once-over, I tucked away the keys in the lockbox and grabbed my tote bag. Then I headed outside, activating the electronic door lock along the way.
An arm linked around mine the second I stepped out the door. “Finally!” Kriz pulled me away from the store, and I matched my pace with hers. “Chloe’s meeting us for dinner, so ifthere’s anything you don’t want her hearing, you better tell me now.”
Chloe was the third in our group. She and Kriz had known each other since middle school, so they were close. Unfortunately, Chloe didn’t warm up to me as easily as Kriz did. Maybe she resented me for befriending Kriz, or she just didn’t like me. Whatever the case, I was wary of setting her off or saying too much around her.
“So? Anything interesting?” Kriz waggled her eyebrows at me.
I laughed. “You mean, aside from me getting to meet the best NBA players of our time?”
“Look, that’s great and I’m happy for you, but I’d be even happier if you had some real up-close and personal encounters, if you know what I mean.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
“Not even on the plane with some hot billionaire?”
I snorted. “You’ve been reading too many romance books.”
“You wasted a prime opportunity, Lulu. Those first-class cabins have more than enough space.” She smiled fondly, as though reliving a memory. “Remember Paolo?”
“How could I forget?” The story of her mile-high experience with an Italian model could have been lifted from one of her favorite reads. It still amazed me that she didn’t get caught.
“I can’t believe you don’t have any tea for me.”
I hesitated as the memory of Gabe walking toward me flashed in my head.
That split-second delay must’ve given me away because Kriz gasped. “There is, isn’t there? Spill!”
Glancing around me, I checked if there was a possibility of someone overhearing. The quad was mostly empty this close to dinnertime, but I lowered my voice to be safe. “It’s not a big deal, but someone picked me up at the airport.”
Her eyes widened. “Was it Theo?”
My head reared back. “Theo? No way.” He and I had dated for a few weeks, but it had been casual. We’d cut things off before my trip was even a thing.
“Are you seeing anyone you haven’t told me about?”
“Seriously?” As if I would get away with not telling her something like that.
“It’s the only thing I can think of. Your sister and Jason are in Santa Mila, and I know Chloe didn’t pick you up.” Gasping, Kriz stopped walking and tugged my arm. “Oh my God. Don’t tell me. It was Professor Hottie, wasn’t it?”
“Shh!” I cringed at the nickname. Yeah, Gabe was arguably the most attractive professor at Sterling U, but his personality disqualified him from the title.
“Oh my God,” she repeated in a hushed voice. “Professor Hottie picked you up?”
“He gave me a ride. That’s it.”
She smirked. “And what aridethat must have been.”
I shook my head and tried to get rid of the picture her words blasted into my imagination. Even if Gabe wasn’t my sister’s best friend and nearly ten years older than me, he was still a jerk who made me feel about as big as an ant. “Don’t get excited. It was the most painful car ride I’ve ever had. Get this—he flat-out told me he only picked me up because of Ate.Also, he just had to remind me that him giving me a ride didn’t make us friends.”
