Page 27 of 40 and (Tired of) Faking It
Still… “We went by Papa’s place the other day.”
“And?” Erin asked.
Lily hesitated.
“Aaaaand?” Claire this time, hurrying over to the sink, eyes stuck on Lily.
She twisted her hands together. “And…I swear…”
Erin groaned as she dried her hands. “I’m gonna swear too if you don’t spill your secrets, woman!”
Lily couldn’t hold back a groan. “Would you all stop?”
“Nope.” Thepwas a pop of sound from the nearest stall, underscoring Scarlett’s unapologetic tone.
“I swear he almost kissed me.”
There, she’d spit it out. It made her feel like she was sixteen again, whispering secrets to her friends about the boy in her English class that she had the biggest crush on, but…oh God, she’d admitted it out loud!
Claire stared into the mirror, hands under the running water, one brow arched. Lily saw zero shock in her expression. “Of course he did. He almost devoured you in my shop yesterday, woman.”
“Not to mention the ridge in his pants out there on the dance floor,” Scarlet called through the door.
Oh my God.“Y’all…”
“I don’t understand the hesitation, Lily,” Claire said.
“It’s just…” Thoughts whirled in her head, refusing to come together easily. “It’s…” A rumble of irritation left her. “I’m forty years old,” she finally blurted out.
“And?”
“And…yes, he’s older, but he’s…sexy. Sophisticated. A flirt. You know this has to be…”
Erin passed a couple of towels to Claire, then leaned a shoulder against the paper dispenser. “You’re scared that he’s just passing the time while he’s here. And you wouldn’t be scared if there weren’t already feelings involved.”
“Yes, damn it!” Lily’s face flamed at the admission, but she could no longer deny it.
Claire shook her head. “Why assume he’s only looking for a temporary good time?”
“What else could he be looking for? He’s—” Lily fluttered her hands around, meaning what, she didn’t know. “And I’m—” She waved air toward her face, feeling like she might pass out.
Claire dropped the paper towels into the trash can and walked over to take Lily’s hands in hers. “Maybe he’s looking at you, not just for a good time. Maybe he sees what we all see, a sexy woman mature enough to have something in common with him. Lily…” She squeezed Lily’s hands. “We tease you about always being put together, always being in control, but look at yourself in the mirror, hon. Really look. You act like your hair is falling out or you’re wearing Depends. You’re perfectly healthy, with all your own teeth. Perfect skin. Hell, even your belly is flat. I could hate you for that alone.” Claire’s smile said she was teasing, but her eyes were serious. “Any man with eyes and a brain in his head would know you’re a catch, Mason’s lies be damned. And JD seems like he would be perfectly capable of seeing them as exactly that, lies.”
“History has not taught me that lesson.” At all.
“Fuck history.” Scarlett barged out of the stall toward the counter and turned on the water. “I mean it.” Lily watched over Claire’s shoulder as her friend washed her hands, then dried them. Finally Scarlett nudged Claire aside and stared hard at Lily, seeming to want to drill whatever she was about to say into Lily’s psyche. “You’re attracted; you’ve already admitted that.”
An automatic denial rose to her lips.
Erin scoffed. “Just look at the man. Of course you are!”
Lily rolled her eyes at Erin’s comment. Right. Even if she hadn’t admitted it, denial was useless. She’d have to be dead not to be attracted to JD.
Scarlett ignored the byplay. “If you want him, Lily, here’s what you do: the next time he looks like he wants to kiss you, you open the docking bay doors, put out the welcome lights, and wave that man in, you got me?”
Claire sputtered out a laugh.
Scarlett gave their friend a cocky grin. “Who’s the master of romance here?” For a second a flash of something darkened her pretty green eyes, but then she popped a hand onto her hip and got back to business. “I am. And I’m telling you, all it will take is an invitation. If you’re lucky—and I think you are—he’ll give you more than just a kiss.” She sashayed toward the bathroom door, throwing over her shoulder, “And you’ll enjoy every minute of it.”
