Page 13 of Prove You Wrong

‘You know my rules. I'm not in the market for a boyfriend.’

‘Who said anything about a boyfriend? I'm talking a night of steamy, no strings attached passion. It's good for your mental health.’

‘The last thing Chloe needs is to catch me doing an early morning walk of shame.’

‘Don't get caught.’ Josie sucks the last of her drink from between the ice cubes with a loud slurp. ‘What about exploring this thing here.’ She gestures with her glass between me and the bartender. ‘See what happens.’

Glancing along the bar, Hot Guy is reaching for something off the highest shelf. I’m gifted a mouth-watering peek at his abs as his tee-shirt rides up. Why is forbidden fruit the sweetest?

‘There’s not a thing,’I tut.

‘Therecouldbe a thing. He’s into you, I can almost feel the heat from the way he looks at you.’ She sits up straighter, placing her drink down. ‘You’re clearly into him.’

I pluck at my napkin. ‘Am not.’ My feeble reply isn’t convincing anyone.

‘You shouldn’t deny yourself pleasure. Life is short.’ She fans her fingers wide, then curls them into a fist, squeezing the air with anguish. ‘You deserve to be happy too.’

‘I’ll be happy when Chloe leaves home a balanced, strong, independent female that hasn’t spent her whole life exposed to players and flakes.’ I stab my straw at the ice in my glass.

‘They’re not all bad.’ Josie shakes her head.

‘Maybe not. But this guy screams danger and bad decisions.’ My eyes linger on his sexy as hell tattoos.

‘He seems like he might be the kind of guy that leaves you screaming though.’ She cocks an eyebrow. ‘Just saying.’

‘But can you imagine me taking him home for Sunday lunch?’ My eyes bulge.

‘You’re not listening,’ she gives an exasperated laugh. ‘Who said anything about lunch? Or taking him home? You should go get some.’ Josie bats me away with her hand. ‘Blow off some cobwebs. Scratch an itch.’

I fix her a look. ‘I’m not itchy.’

‘You must be. It’s been what? Two years?’

‘You’ve been counting?!’ It comes out as a hiss.

‘Best friends keep track.’ She shrugs.

‘You can talk, you know. Both of us are probably a little cobwebby.’

‘Oh no.’ She smirks. ‘I had a little spring clean the other night.’

I round on her. ‘And this is the first I hear of it?’

‘I was going to tell you.’ She raises her tone to match mine.

‘Well, tell me now.’ I bang my hand onto the table like a gavel. ‘Everything!’

‘It was at that Halloween party. There was an extremely sexy zombie.’

‘And you let him eat your brains, didn’t you?’ I quirk my eyebrows mischievously.

‘Oh honey, I let him eat everything.’

‘Josie!’

‘What? It was an adult masquerade fancy dress kind of party, that’s what you’re supposed to do, isn’t it?’

‘I wouldn’t know, but you go girl. I’m happy for you.’ I lean on to the bar, resting my chin on my hand. ‘So, are you seeing him again?’

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