Page 49 of Inviting Trouble
“Okay, back to Mad,” Hailey said. “I think her makeover was a hit. She got his attention, drew him in, and danced.”
“Don’t forget hooked up,” Charlotte said. She gave Mad’s shoulder a shake. “Go, girl.”
“Yeah,” Mad muttered. “Hard to forget.”
“But now we have to think about next steps,” Hailey said. “We have to call off Ty, who’s probably just doing his big-brother duty, and then look at how to go from hookup to an actual relationship. You could invite him to the New Year’s Eve party at Garner’s.”
“Sure, or I could just invite him to my bed,” Mad said. “We’re living together until he finds a job.”
“I didn’t know you were living together!” Hailey exclaimed. “I thought he was just there for the weekend. He’s not moving in with one of your brothers?”
“Ty lives in California, normally,” Mad said. “Right now he’s at a hotel in the city. Josh has a one-bedroom apartment, Alex has Viv, and Logan and Ethan share a place. Marcus is in the city. Park hates the city. Anyway, I think he wants to spend time with my dad. They’re close.”
“You can’t expect her to make a move with her dad around,” Charlotte put in.
“That could be extremely awkward for everyone,” Lauren said. “Do you have a trash bag in here? I can’t get my hair off my candy cane.”
“No, sorry,” Hailey said.
“I got it,” Mad said, grabbing some napkins from her messenger bag. She reached back and snagged the candy cane, stuffing it into the side pocket of her car door.
“Hey!” Hailey protested.
“I can work around my dad,” Mad said. “He works night shift and sleeps days. He’s the least of the problem. Park’s just so distant.”
“He’ll come around,” Hailey said confidently, still eyeing the sticky mess in the passenger door. Her zeal for matchmaking, however, could not be denied. “This is brand-new territory for Park. He’s still getting used to the fact that you’re an amazing, beautiful, smart, full-grown woman.”
Mad blinked rapidly. Hailey had a way of suddenly jabbing straight to the heart. “You too,” Mad mumbled. “Don’t worry. I’ll get rid of the candy cane mess when we get home.”
“Thanks!” Hailey said brightly. “But we don’t want Park to keep hooking up with you because it’s convenient and never branching into more intimate territory.”
“We were plenty intimate,” Mad quipped halfheartedly, but she knew Hailey was right. She wanted more with Park. No one had ever measured up. Truth was, she loved him. Always had. Always would. She’d never attempted a relationship with anyone else. Only Park would do.
“Now don’t take this the wrong way,” Charlotte started.
Mad groaned. “No good ever follows that sentence.”
But then Charlotte surprised her when she directed her comment to Hailey. “How do you know so much about relationships, Hailey? Tell us about yours.”
“I know a lot from my experience working closely with engaged couples,” Hailey asserted.
“So you never had a relationship?” Charlotte pressed.
“I’m still very young,” Hailey said.
“You think twenty-six is very young?” Charlotte asked in a tone that saidreality check.
Hailey smiled tightly. “I need to establish my business first, create the foundation for a secure future. Believe me, when the time is right, I will search in earnest for Mr. Right.”
The women fell silent.
“That’s troubling,” Mad finally said. “How can I listen to your relationship advice when you’ve never had a relationship?”
Hailey huffed. “I told you—”
“I’m the opposite,” Charlotte said with the voice of hard experience. “I’ve had a series of awful relationships. I finally called it quits on men three years ago.”
“Donottell me you haven’t been with a man in three years!” Mad exclaimed.
