Page 1 of Unconventional Love

CHAPTERONE

liv

My knuckles rap against the door of my best friend’s hotel room, and I step back in excited anticipation. There’s a deep groan and what I swear is someone muttering ‘no’, so I knock again. After another groan and some shuffling, the lock begins to turn.

Jules pulls the door open far enough to peek her head out, squinting against the light coming in from the halls while I offer a broad smile. “Guess what?”

“Jesus, Liv. What time is it?”

“6:30,” I say as I push past her into the room.

The shower is running, and a hint of light is shining on the carpet from beneath the bathroom door. “You two don’t shower together?”

“Hell no, I don’t wake up before the fucking sun like a psychopath. Why areyoueven up?” She pointlessly brushes a hand over her hair. The blonde locks unkempt from sleep.

“I can’t sleep, and I matched with a couple people.” I pull up the first one and flip my phone screen to show her. The brightness catches her off guard as she dramatically throws her hand over her face like a vampire in sunlight. “He’s 32, from Seattle, never been marri–”

“Don’t message him,” Jules says pointedly, and I sigh.

“Why not? He’s hot.” She rolls her eyes, but she’s right, I can do better. I’ve been on this dating app from the moment I arrived in Seattle last night. If I’m not going to get laid back home, I could at least enjoy a one-night stand. “Okay, fine. What about her?” I swipe my thumb across the screen, getting ready to show Jules the girl I also matched with last night. Before I even flip the screen, her head is already shaking.

“No,” she voices with even more finality.

I make a show of falling onto the mattress and covering my face with my forearm. “Not all of us have boyfriends who deliver dick daily, Jules. Let me live,” I whine.

“I’m ensuring you live by not letting you go out with strangers who could be serial killers for all you know. It’s not safe to meet people off of the internet.” I peek up at her. Bright blue eyes are narrowed on me as she places her hand on her hip awaiting my rebuttal.

“One, you’re the one who just admitted you’re dating a psychopath. And two,” I pause for dramatic effect. “I need sex, Jules. Ineedit. I can’t sleep.” I’m being petulant at this point, but the fact of the matter still stands.

She breathes a laugh at my clear deprivation. “You don’t need sex to sleep.”

“Yes I do,” I sulk. “You sleep better after orgasm, it’s science.”

“I can vouch for that.” Samuel, Jules’ boyfriend, appears in nothing but a towel, defined abs on full display.God, she’s a lucky bitch.He towers over her small frame, biceps flexing as he slips an arm around her waist and kisses her cheek. “I’m with Liv, it’s a thing.”

Jules wipes the kiss off of her cheek and pushes him back a bit. “Jesus. How the hell did you even hear us?”

“Delivery Daddy has bat ears,” I sarcastically answer her question for him. Samuel chuckles while my best friend rolls her eyes. In all fairness, he does still deliver her packages. Though, I only call him that these days in jest.

My best friend decided to leave the country and move to Canada a few months ago. The day I helped her move to Coal’s Lake was also the day she first met Samuel. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have even gotten his number. Now I have to suffer through a weekend of their incessant affection for one another. Still, I’ve never seen her happier than she’s been the last two and a half months. As an added bonus, the man got me my own concierge level suite, so I can’t exactly complain.

“Delivery Daddyfinished his shower and heard you talking. It wasn’t exactly hard to hear from ten feet away, and for what it’s worth, you’re wrong.” I raise an inquisitive eyebrow at him, and he continues. “I only deliver dick like six days a week.”

“Samuel!” Jules screeches. He simply winks at her in return and she buries her face in a pillow.

“Hey, when are you going to put in a good word for me with your sister?” I ask, changing the subject back to my abysmal love life. Even though I’ve only seen pictures of Morgan, it’s no secret that the two of them won the gene pool lottery.

“She’s got a boyfriend now,” Jules chimes in, and Samuel and I both turn to look at her.

“Seriously?” We say in unison. Except, his tone is much more questioning, while mine is one of deflation.

“I give up. Be sure to writedeath by lack of orgasmon my headstone.” I throw my arm back over my face. Nothing like being lonely right before Valentine’s Day, the most horrid of all the holidays, with your best friend and her cinnamon roll boyfriend.

“How about this?” Samuel’s cheerful voice fills the space. Holy shit. Jules wasn’t wrong, the man is annoyingly pleasant in the mornings. “Why don’t we all grab a cup of coffee and plan the rest of our day. Who knows, Liv. You might meet someone nice while we are out!” I grimace at the exuberant teasing.

Coffee? Yes. Meeting someone nice…?

I internally laugh at the insinuation that I prefer nice. However, the thought of caffeine I can get behind. I’m still exhausted from the five and a half hour drive from Pendleton. It wouldn’t have been as bad if I didn’t have to wait until after work to leave.

---