Page 5 of Bottle Rocket
“It was nice to see you.” She grimaced. The words sounded empty, but they weren’t.
“This class is over in an hour.”
“Okay.”
“Can I see you after?”
Her pulse jumped. “Okay.” She needed to learn a different word, but damn.
He started walking backwards, a grin on his face. “Meet you out front, by the garden area?”
She eyed him. “You’re still trouble, Leo Whittaker. I won’t forget.”
“But you’ll be there?”
“I’ll be there.”
Rosie found her way to the community garden in a daze. She didn’t know there was a community garden. The fact that Leo did was fucking her up.
She found a wooden bench in the shade. A morning breeze wafted through her hair. She had an hour to kill, which was just enough time to thoroughly freak the fuck out.
Was this a date? Dating had not been on the agenda this summer. It was an obstacle course out there, and she was not equipped. Plus, Leo was only in town for a few days. She didn’t even know where he lived.
She took a deep breath. She needed to slow her roll.
This would be two old friends catching up. No biggie.
Too bad he was so hot.
Maybe this could be a fling.A summer fling.
A booty call! Was ten in the morning the time booty calls happened when you were in your thirties?
If she’d beenplanningfor a booty call, she would have worn her new bra. She would have brought gum.
Recklessness pushed against Rosie’s chest. She was never reckless. She was calculated. Dependable. Reserved. She’d always had to be. Her parents had bailed when she was young, and her grandmother had worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. It was why she craved security so much as an adult.
Her siblings said she had oldest-child syndrome, and that might have been true, but mostly, she hated to feel out of control.
Today, though, that recklessness tasted sweet on her tongue. This was her chance to truly live her life. To open herself up to new experiences and find herself. If that led to fucking an old boyfriend after accidentally crashing a figure-drawing class where he was the nude model, all the better. She grabbed her phone and pulled up her text thread with Sasha. She started debating with herself in her head, thinking about logistics and travel time.
Maybe she had time to run home. She checked her watch. It would be close, especially with the construction in the area, and she was worried that if she weren’t there when Leo finished, he would think she’d ghosted. She couldn’t exactly be-bop back into that room to tell him she’d be right back.
Rosie took a deep breath and thumbed out a message. Sasha had gotten back from her honeymoon four days ago and had one more day before she started working again.
Hey. What are you doing?
Sasha:Watching my slacker finish the homework he missed due to wedded bliss.
Rosie adored Sasha’s new husband, and she knew for a fact he was not a slacker.
Rosie:Can you do me a favor? I’m at the community center. Will you swing by my place and grab a bra for me?
Sasha:Did yours break? Any preference on which, because I will choose your sluttiest if you don’t give me instructions.
Rosie bit back a smile. Sasha worked for a sex toy and lingerie company called Lady Robin’s Intimate Implements. Rosie could rely on her to be raunchy. Luckily, her sluttiest bra was exactly what Rosie wanted.
Rosie:Baby blue lace on top of my dresser. Also, do you have mints?
