Page 34 of The Anti-Bachelorette (The Anti-Bachelorette 1)

I look back over to my dad, and he raises his eyebrows at me. “Who’s here?”

I fidget with the hem of my shirt. “Uhm....just a friend.”

My dad’s smile grows. “A male friend?”

I shuffle on my feet some more. “Uh...yes. But he was just leaving. I’ll come over in about an hour okay?” I press against my dad’s chest and start closing my door. He grabs the door. “What? I don’t even get to meet him?”

I shove harder. “Absolutely not! Remember those boundaries we talked about when I agreed to move in here?” I raise an eyebrow at him.

He just laughs and steps back. “Fine. You’re right.” He bonks my nose like I’m still a little girl. “See you in a little bit.”

I can’t help but smile back. “Bye dad.” Then he walks back out. I wait a minute after he leaves the house to make sure he is back to his own house. Then I reach down and grab Alaric’s briefs and stomp over to the bathroom door.

I open the door and dangle the underwear in front of him? “Really? You didn’t think to put on your underwear first? Do you often go commando.”

He actually smiles back at me. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

I groan, and he adds, “Hey, you’re the one who rushed me.”

I just roll my eyes. “Yeah, it was kind of a time sensitive matter. And seriously you couldn’t hold in that sneeze? Now my dad knows I had a guy here who wasn’t Marco!”

Alaric narrows his eyes at me. “Hey, not my fault. There’s so much smelly stuff in here.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Smelly stuff?”

He just leans down closer. “Yeah. Smelly stuff.” He glances around the bathroom. “What could you possibly need this many products for?”

I roll my eyes at him. “Oh I forgot. You don’t actually know anything about women. Have you ever even been on a second date?”

He just grunts and leans in closer. “That reminds me. I was just leaving.”

He pushes past me and heads toward the door. I stop him. “Alaric.” He turns to look at me. “This isn’t going to happen again.” He gives me one of his mean smiles. “Right.”

Then he turns to leave again. He’s heading toward the front door, and then I remember my dad. “Wait!”

He stops dramatically and turns and raises his eyebrows at me. “What?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You need to leave out the back. Where’s your car?”

He just grunts. “Around the corner. How am I supposed to leave out the back. There’s a wall of bushes.”

I just raise my eyebrows at him. “Figure it out. Do you really want my dad seeing you sneak out of here after you left your boxers on the floor?”

Alaric lets out a sigh. “Fine.”

I quickly run back into my room and grab a ballcap. I run back out and hand it to him. “Here. Put this on just in case.”

He looks down at it. “What kind of person would wear a ball cap with a dress shirt?”

I just roll my eyes. “Well, obviously not you, so it’ll be an even better disguise.”

He grabs the hat and puts it on, and it makes him look so cute. I can’t help but smile. He just glares back at me. “Anything else?”

I groan when I remember I agreed to go watch a movie with my dad. “Yeah, are you coming back home? I told my dad I would come over and…” I don’t know how to finish that sentence. Alaric just grins. “And you don’t want me around because he’ll definitely know I fucked you with the way you can never stop checking me out.”

I glare back at him. “Oh my God. Leave!”

He just smirks. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay away.” Then he turns around and heads toward the back door. I do check him out the whole way. He waves his hand over his head. “I can feel your eyes on me!” He calls over. I just roll my eyes even though he can’t see me. “Where will you go?”

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