Page 48 of Mess With Me
“Hi, Clarissa,” they answered in near unison. Except Hailey, who just stood there with her mouth open.
Ally handed her hot dog skewer to Mad and then went over to introduce herself to Clarissa, curious about her. Clarissa smiled warmly and shook her hand, her whole demeanor mellow and laid-back. She was like the anti-Hailey.
“You new in town?” Ally asked.
“Mmm-hmm,” Clarissa said. “Just moved here two weeks ago.”
“And what do you do?”
“She’s a massage therapist,” Josh put in.
Clarissa inclined her head at Josh, giving him a sexy flirty smile before turning back to Ally. “That’s a side gig. I teach yoga.”
Josh could not have picked a woman more different from the tightly wound Hailey.
“I used to take yoga,” Hailey said. Or maybe they weren’t that different.
Clarissa gave Hailey’s arm a squeeze. “You’re welcome to join my class. We have all levels, beginner to advanced.” She turned to the group. “All of you are welcome. Josh has my info if you want to give it a go.”
A few of her friends murmured thanks. No one would agree to go, though. At least not in front of Hailey, who still looked taken aback by Clarissa’s very existence.
“I brought you a Guinness,” Josh told Clarissa.
“You remembered,” she said warmly.
“Course I did.” Josh headed over to a cooler to fetch it.
“He’s such a sweetheart,” Clarissa said to Hailey.
“Mmm,” Hailey said, her lips drawn in a flat line. “Welp. Great to meet you, Clarissa. I’m sure we’ll see each other around.”
“You—” Before Clarissa could finish her sentence, which was no doubt going to be a warm “you too,” Hailey did an about-face and headed straight for Sabrina. Ally couldn’t blame her. Just being near Sabrina could have a relaxing effect. It was her relationship-counselor vibe.
Josh reappeared with cans of Guinness for him and Clarissa. How cute.
Ally checked on Hailey, who had her back to the group, talking to Sabrina. She decided she was in good hands and went to retrieve her hot dog from Mad. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” Mad said, her gaze darting over to Hailey. They were probably all a little worried about how Hailey was taking this. It just didn’t seem right. Hailey had finally broken it off with her fuck buddy, opening herself to a real relationship, only to be shot down. Ally and her friends had privately agreed that Hailey’s declaration that she was open to dating meant she was open to dating Josh. Seriously, Hailey and Josh had been frenemies with a strong undercurrent of sexual chemistry for so long. Everyone had been waiting for all that tension to explode into mad passionate love.
Ally stifled a sigh. Suddenly her hot dog was on fire. “Ah!” She lifted it and tried blowing on it, but that just made the flames go higher. The skewer was snatched from her hands, the hot dog thrown to the sand. Ethan kicked sand over it, smothering the flames.
“You rescued me again,” she whispered. First during her Dean reunion disaster, then when she was stranded on the side of the road, then from a capsized canoe, and now from dangerous fire. Like a prince.Oh no!How was she supposed to get over her prince fantasy when Ethan kept playing the part?
“I’ll get you a fresh one.” He retrieved a new skewer and hot dog and guided her cooking, telling her exactly how to get the perfect dog. “Not in the flames, near the flames. And don’t get distracted by other stuff going on around you. Fire is unforgiving.”
She melted like a marshmallow, all warm and gooey at his care.
After she caught up with her friends, everyone filling up on hot dogs and assorted salads, she rejoined Ethan and some of the guys, who were alternating sipping beers with skipping stones across the lake. She was hoping to get the dirt on Josh and Clarissa.
Ethan was on the end of the line of four guys. She whispered in his ear, “How long has Josh been seeing Clarissa?”
Ethan shook his head. “Must be recent. This is the first time I’ve met her.”
“You think it’ll last?”
“Probably not,” Ethan said.
Logan, standing on Ethan’s other side, offered his opinion in a low voice. “None of Josh’s women stick.” He’d probably know, seeing as how he was Josh’s younger brother.
