Page 17 of New Girl in the City
“He hates me.”
“Absolutely not. A man doesn't look at a woman like he looks at you when he hates her. He doesn't call her princess either. That gives me goosebumps.”
“He means that as an insult, Claudia,” I reminded her, and she shook her head.
“Yeah, all right, if that’s what you’ve convinced yourself, but I hear it differently. That man has the hots for you.”
I picked up my menu and looked at that because it was easier than having this conversation. It was even easier than letting Claudia finish her statement, because I knew what it was that she wasn’t saying. It wasn’t just that Liam had the hots for me. But that I had the hots for him. I couldn’t have that talk before the wine had arrived.
It was after most of our wine and a good portion of our lunch that I was ready for it, and Claudia came right back in without missing a beat. “Alright then, so you’ve been on the app, and the experience has been? What? Good? Bad?”
“It’s...different.”
“What’s that mean? Different can mean just about anything! Details, woman!” She took a dainty bite of her salad and I bit my bottom lip, considering my next few words. According to my watch we had less than twenty minutes before I was going to be sitting in the back of Liam’s car again.
“It means that I’ve had some interesting interactions with the men on there. Lots of attention.”
“Yes, but I knew that. I made your dates for you! Even if that was before I had really considered Liam,” she replied with a thoughtful tap of her finger to her chin.
“Don’t say that. Do not consider him, do you hear me? He’s not an option,” I reminded her, which just made her pout as she slumped forward in her seat.
“Oh, fine, fine, I’ll drop it about Liam. But don’t expect me to keep a straight face the second he starts looking at you like he wants to eat you.”
My cheeks heated at her words, but I jabbed my fork towards my plate, spearing a potato and nodded at hers. “The only thing that anyone is going to eat is lunch, so get to it. We have fifteen minutes.”
“Fine, but you know the routine. Hand over the phone and let me get those dates stacked up for you, because don’t you dare think I don’t know that you didn’t follow through on the ones I already set up.” She held out one hand to me. I rolled my eyes and handed over my phone. Okay yes, I had maybe just a teensy-weensy-as-in-a-whole-lot blown off the guys she had messaged for me the week before. She rolled her eyes at me while she scrolled through the app, but she did go back to eating her lunch like ordered. By the time our hour was up we were paid up and sauntering towards the door with all the confidence that a glass of wine, a delicious meal and some gossip gave a person. I worked to keep my face schooled into the absolute picture of serenity and I was determined to keep it that way.
He opened the door for us and after a murmured thank you, we were seated and off towards the office. Things were going well as I tried to ignore Liam and keep a professional distance, but what I didn’t count on was the truck that swerved into our lane, causing Liam to swear and jerk our car sharply to the side. The wheels hit the curb as we narrowly avoided getting side swiped. Liam slammed the brakes on, and my heart leapt into my throat before he jabbed his hand on the horn for one quick, sharp, blast, before pulling us back into traffic.
Claudia slammed into the door with a yell while I caught myself with a hand to the back of Liam’s seat. “Are you both okay?” he asked, once he had corrected our path and flipped off the driver that had nearly hit us.
“Yeah, I just—that was a lot,” Claudia breathed, pushing her hair out of her face.
“Melinda are you all right?”
I didn’t answer for a minute. It didn’t sink in that it was Liam calling me Melinda and not Princess, but when I heard him repeat my name in that low, concerned voice I snapped out of it.
“Melinda?” he tried again. I nodded shakily at him. “You are all right? Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay, just a little shaken up,” I said before moving back and straightening my seat belt across my chest. “Thank you for keeping us safe.”
“Of course, but…” his voice trailed off. In the quiet I couldn’t miss the distinctive sound of loose change and a lipstick tube rolling and hitting each other on the floor of the car. “Your purse is all over the floor.”
I waved a hand at him. “That doesn’t matter it’s—”
“Your cell is under my foot.” As if on cue I heard the telltale ding of the dating app go off, and I muffled a swear.
“Yeah, um, that’s okay.”
“It’s a guy,” he went on, glancing down at the floorboard where my traitorous phone was dinging away with more messages. Of coursenowwas the time all the men in New York City decided to message me on the damn app.
“Or you can hand it to me?” I tried, leaning forward and reaching for it. I didn’t care if we had only just avoided a wreck, I needed that phone and I needed it now. Before Liam saw anything more on its screen.
“I’m driving, Princess,” he said. “Both hands at 10 and 2.” He lifted his fingers from the steering wheel where his hands were firmly planted for emphasis. Such dedication to driving safety. I rolled my eyes.
“You know, they did some studies that 8 and 4 are more efficient and safer for long term drivers,” Claudia offered, but we ignored her.
A ding from the dating app had him glancing down and humming. “Diamond Dating League, huh?”
