Page 29 of Wild and Bright

“I’m sorry I’m not an expert in architecture.”

“Neither am I, but I know enough to know that the most famous architect of the twentieth century didn’t design some random house in La Jolla.”

When she sucks in her lips, my stomach sinks. That’s the look she used to give me when we were teenagers. It means I’m being a dick. Goddamn my terrible interpersonal skills.

I clear my throat. “Are you hungry?”

Thankfully, her cynical smile fades. “No, I had shit food all day at SeaWorld. What I do want is a stiff drink. Can you make me a dirty martini, but don’t even bother with the olive juice? Just give me what I want, darling. Straight vodka and maybe one olive.” She frowns. “What’s wrong?”

And that’s when I realize I’m staring at her with my lips parted.

Darling.

She’s never called me that before. She used to say it all the time to Hunter. But never me.

“Nothing.” I turn around and walk toward the living room. “The bar is over here. I’m not very skilled at making cocktails, but I guess if you only want vodka and an olive, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

She follows close behind, and her willowy shadow stretches out ahead of me. The sight of it makes the hairs on my forearms stand up.

I still can’t believe that she’s here.

I pull out a glass of whiskey from the bar cabinet. “Doesn’t look like I have martini glasses. I really only drink whiskey.”

She rests the side of her hip against the counter. “I’m flattered you’re even making me a cocktail. You’re not someone who makes drinks for people. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you do it before.”

“I’m a lot of fun, is what you mean.” I pour the cold vodka into her glass and hand it to her. After pouring a whiskey for myself, I raise my glass in the air. “Should we say cheers to our new…relationship?”

She narrows her eyes, pursing her lips as she stares down at her drink, as if giving the question earnest thought. “Why don’t we say cheers to Pepperdine for shackling me with debt and making me desperate enough to do this?”

I smile, raising my glass higher. “To Pepperdine.”

She shoots me a cheeky smile as she clanks her glass with mine.

“Do you think you’ll ever go back to school?” I ask.

“God, no. I love what I do now. I only really went because I got to use the loans on this insane apartment in Malibu. Cadence even had her own room”

I gulp back a laugh, trying not to choke on the whiskey I just sipped. “I wondered how you were able to run up that much debt in a year and half.”

“Student loans are designed for morons like me. People with no impulse control, who can’t do math and think their psychology degree—that they don’t even have yet, by the way—could reasonably pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars in ten years. It’s literally not possible. It should be illegal.”

“You’re not a moron. I bet you would have figured out how to pay it off. In two days, you conned two relatively wealthy people into taking you into their homes and giving you money.”

“Is that what I did? A con? If so, I’m good, because I didn’t have to work that hard, especially with you. You offered it up out of nowhere.”

I smile warmly. “I was already sold. Based on that Costco free sample you gave me years ago.”

She places a palm over her mouth as she snorts, her shoulders shaking, and I can’t help but laugh along with her. How does she always do this to me?

I haven’t laughed this much in months. Not since I suspected Hunter was taking benzos and trying to hide it, and definitely not since that miserable night two weeks ago when his one-night stand had to call an ambulance because Hunter passed out and was unresponsive on his couch.

“Remember when a trip to Costco felt like a Caribbean cruise?” she asks when her laughter subsides, and thankfully, it draws me out of my head. “When we’d beg our moms to take us?”

I grimace. “You and Hunter maybe. I never felt that way. I fucking hate Costco, and any store like it. So many people…” I shake my head. “I’m so glad I have a PA now to arrange all of that shit for me.”

She smiles, narrowing her eyes. “I didn’t think you hated people that much. I knew you were a dick, but this is crazy. You really hate talking to women so much that you’d rather pay someone for sex? Someone who would give you sex for free?”

My gaze falls to my drink. “I don’t hate all people. I have five I like.”

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