Cheater

  What the hell type of dude told two girls to stop while he was getting this kind of attention during mealtime?

  “Lucas Thorn,” Cary breathed in my right ear while Tabatha kissed the other, her hands staying firmly planted at her sides while her roommate and best friend continued trying her best to get me off under the table.

  A vision of Avery flashed through my mind.

  Her eyes mostly.

  Not even her body.

  Her eyes, that was what did it. They had me jerking away from both girls like they had the plague.

  “Whoa.” Cary stifled a laugh. “I didn’t pinch that hard.”

  She pinched my business? Seriously? Who did that?

  Tabatha’s tongue grazed my ear again.

  “You know what?” I tossed down a few twenties and stood. “I have a meeting in a few.” When I turned, they were both flushed and ready, yet there I was, staring at them like a moron rather than taking them into the bathroom and allowing myself to get made into a Lucas Thorn sandwich. Damn it. Was I broken?

  Tabatha shrugged. “That’s okay. We should probably get going anyways. Next week at the regular time? Cary’s working. You can come over—I’ll make your favorite homemade macaroni.”

  I groaned and patted my stomach. “Sounds amazing.”

  “Why do I get the feeling that sometimes you’d choose my macaroni over sex?” Her eyebrows arched up.

  “Probably because you’ve never had bad macaroni, which means you don’t know how to appreciate the good kind.”

  “Hmm . . .” She stood and kissed me on the cheek while Cary kissed the other and swatted my ass.

  “Later, sexy,” Cary cackled, and both of them walked out, in matching uniforms, arms linked.

  Shaking, I ran my hands through my hair and was about ready to have a nervous breakdown when my phone rang.

  “Yeah?” I grabbed my coat and headed out of the restaurant.

  “She’s a clinger.” That’s all Thatch had to say before I burst out laughing. “She asked for my phone number.”

  “How else is she supposed to have another booty call with the good doctor?” I grinned like a smug bastard, enjoying his panic, and then I warned him to stay away. “You know this is your fault, right? You know that inviting a woman to your apartment usually means that she’ll start envisioning her shit all over the place—and next thing you know, she’s about to have your baby.”

  “SHE’S NOT PREGNANT!” He started cursing again. “Look, you know I have commitment issues.”

  “No.” I rolled my eyes. “Shocker.”

  “Like you should talk, you selfish bastard.” Thatch sighed loudly. “Break up with her for me?”

  “Not a chance in hell.”

  “But—”

  “Nope.”

  “Lucas Thorn.”

  “Maybe if you had tits, and even then, that just makes shit weird, Thatch.”

  I hit the elevator button and waited while Thatch started complaining about why sex can’t just be sex.

  “You’re telling me.” I snorted into the phone. “Look, I gotta go. Just remember Austin and Avery are best friends, meaning, you screw her, her friend is most likely going to try to find a way to screw me. Girls go to the bathroom together. If they do the nonserious stuff in teams, you bet your ass they’re going to treat a breakup the same way.”

  “That really wasn’t helpful, not at all, Lucas.”

  “Or”—I shrugged and hit the button for my floor—“you could just make the sex really, really bad next time, say, finishing in like thirty seconds and screaming ‘Porcupine!’ or something.”

  He was quiet, then said, “I can’t decide if that’s genius or stupid.”

  “You never know until you try. Think of Christopher Columbus. Everyone thought he was stupid for sailing toward the New World, and look! He proved them wrong. The earth was in fact round, my friend.”

  “Did you just compare yourself to someone who discovered an actual continent? Because it seems like you did, and this is after you told me to yell ‘Porcupine!’ when I orgasm.”

  “Well, when you repeat it back like that . . .” I grumbled as the elevator doors opened to my floor. “Look, I gotta go. Leave me out of it though.”

  “No promises,” he said just as I ended the conversation and greedily searched for Avery.

  She wasn’t behind her desk.

  Nor was she under it—I had to check because hiding and pouncing was exactly the kind of thing I could imagine her doing, just so she could scare the shit out of me and get it on camera or something. Then again, she wasn’t seventeen anymore, but this was still Avery we were talking about. Ergo, I still looked.

  Frowning, I turned around in an effort to casually strut into my office and slammed right into Avery, knocking her backward onto her ass.

  Folders went everywhere.

  Papers scattered across the floor.

  And her wedged heels somehow managed to fall from her feet, though they still dangled around her ankles.

  “Are you okay?” I leaned down to grab her hand, but she didn’t take mine.

  “Yeah.” Her cheeks reddened. “Sorry, I was just dropping off some files, and then I saw that these were addressed to another department and thought I could drop them off and . . .” Her voice trailed off as she flashed me a worried look, like I was going to fire her any minute.

  Instantly feeling like an ass, I grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her into the air. “I’m not going to fire you.”

  “Okay,” she huffed, tears welling in her eyes.

  “Shit, Avery.” Earlier I’d been taking out my frustration with my family on her. Apparently, the distance and years hadn’t changed this aspect of our relationship, because this was a familiar pattern. I made her feel bad or guilty about something that wasn’t her fault—something she had no control over.

  Especially the fact that I was extremely attracted to her—and knew it was wrong then, just like it was wrong now.

  I jerked my hands away; they felt too comfortable around her waist. “Seriously, are you okay?”

  “Yes.” She nodded and took a step back, then bent over right in front of me to grab the papers she’d dropped.

  I gaped at her, and my mouth instantly went dry at the sight of her ass in the air; my fingers were inches from grabbing her waist and tugging her against me, unzipping my pants and—

  Well, there it was.

  Lucas Thorn? Complete asshole.

  We were at work—at work!

  A small, guilty voice reminded me that I’d done several girls at work before, but it was never sex, only kissing, some heavy petting, hand jobs, and occasional blow jobs—nothing that would take too long or look overly suspicious. So why the hell was I daydreaming about a girl who would be more likely to shank me in my sleep than kiss me?

  And she was . . . Hell, did she need to move her ass back and forth while picking up all the folders?

  “You know what?” I said in a hoarse voice. “Why don’t I just grab the last few papers and—”

  She peered over her shoulder. “It’s my job, I’ve got it—”

  “Avery, I’m warning you, pick up one more piece of paper and I’m going to pull that pencil skirt down to your ankles and toss you over my very sturdy, very new desk.”

  She jerked to attention, smoothing her skirt down with her hands before giving me a nasty look and storming off.

  And they say honesty is always the best policy.

  Her shoes slammed against the hardwood floor as she walked unsteadily back to her desk. I covered my mouth with my hand and tried not to make a sound as I watched her flushed neck turn a little redder.

  I’d affected her.

  And by the look on her face, she was pissed about it.

  Her back was ramrod straight as she sat at her desk.

  The phone rang.

  She dropped the receiver four times before finally being able to hold it near her ear.

  “Yes.” Her eyes roamed over
to where I was leaning against the doorway to my office. “Yes, I’ll let him know.”

  When she hung up, my eyes narrowed. “What’s that look mean?”

  “Oh, it’s just—” She sighed. “Nothing, we have school visits at one and three o’clock now. Both high schools want to implement the app, but they want you to teach the teachers so they can go teach the—”

  “—students.” I nodded, all business. “Got it.” I checked my watch. “We leave in fifteen, alright?”

  “Yup.” She looked at her computer while I picked up the rest of the papers.

  I quickly checked my email, turned off the lights in my office, and then headed out; the school visits would take the rest of the afternoon.

  Avery shot up from her desk, grabbed her jacket and purse, and followed me to the elevator.

  It was empty.

  Why was it always empty when I was with Avery?

  The private space gave a man ideas.

  It gave me ideas.

  “So”—she cleared her throat—“I thought the roommates were Tuesday.”

  I frowned in her direction and shrugged. “Not that it matters since it’s my schedule, not yours.” She flinched. “But they fly out tonight, so I don’t get them tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” She drew out the word and stared straight ahead. “But you still have Monday tonight, right?”

  “Right.” Though I hadn’t texted Molly yet, which wasn’t my typical MO. Normally, I texted her first thing in the morning and made plans.

  “Oh.”

  I groaned. “Avery, out with it. Just say what you want to say.”

  “By midnight you’ll have slept with, what? Three girls? All within a twelve-hour period?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I’ll have slept with zero, especially if this elevator keeps moving at the pace of a snail.” I checked my watch again. “And not that I think you had a high opinion of me in the first place, but I try not to screw girls at brunch. It upsets the other patrons, makes them stare at their sausage a little too hard, if you get my meaning.” It was a bit of a white lie, but it had the desired effect. The last thing I wanted to admit was that it bothered me for Avery to know all the gory details of my sex life.

  She gasped.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I scandalize your virgin little ears?” I teased.

  “I’m NOT a virgin!” She finally looked at me, thank God. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I have loads of sex, all the time.”

  “Really?” I crossed my arms. “All the time, huh?”

  “All the time.” She confirmed that with a serious nod. “In fact, I’m having sex tonight.”

  “Are you?”

  “Yes.”

  “With Carl?”

  “Who?”

  “Fess up, he’s not real.”

  “He’s ABSOLUTELY real!” She scowled as the elevator doors opened. “In fact, we’re meeting for drinks later.”

  “Where at?”

  “Not telling you.” She stormed out of the elevator and into the hallway.

  “Fine.” I held up my hands. “Let’s call a truce. Besides, we have a lot of ground to cover this afternoon. Now give me your phone.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Why would I give you my phone?”

  I sighed and looked heavenward. “So I can give you my number just in case this jackass is real and I have to hunt him down. Why else?”

  She hesitantly handed her phone over to me. “No funny business?”

  “Nope.” I held the phone in the air to prove I was doing something simple, like typing in my number.

  While also turning on her GPS and Find My Friends app.

  Harmless.

  Right?

  “Here you go.” I handed it back.

  “That took too long.” Her eyes narrowed.

  “Usually that’s a bonus, when things take longer.” I shifted toward her, almost pinning her to the wall of the hallway. Her perfume floated around me.

  She pointed her cell at me. “No more sex talk.”

  “Stop being paranoid.” I placed my hand on her lower back. “Now, let’s go save the children.”

  “Ughhhhhh.” She groaned and jerked away from me. “God really did a number on you, Thorn.”

  “What?” I smiled brightly. “Because I love kids?”

  She eyed me up and down and smiled wickedly. “I cursed you yesterday.”

  Well, that was wonderful. “Um, thank you?”

  “I cursed your cow too.”

  “I don’t believe I own a cow.”

  “Because I cursed you.” She nodded. “But beware if one suddenly appears in your life. It’ll probably be cursed, just like your cat.”

  “You cursed a poor, helpless imaginary cat?”

  “Of course! I had to include all animals in your foreseeable future. Oh, also, I prayed you’d develop adult acne and get in a car accident where you’d be forced to walk into the light, but let’s be honest—the darkness calls you way more.”

  I groaned. “Business. Professional. Why don’t you try that for, say, three hours?”

  “Fine.” She pulled on her jacket while I called an Uber.

  “So, save the children time?” She peered up at me with hopeful green eyes.

  “Exactly,” I whispered.

  Chapter Fifteen

  AVERY

  I opened up an IPA and chugged half of it before I slammed it down onto my small kitchen table and contemplated making friends with the spider in a corner of the room.

  No matter how many times I sprayed for spiders, one always found a way in.

  And they never ran away from me, just stared me down, waiting for me to make my move so that they could yawn, wave, and then slowly crawl back into the hellhole they’d come out of.

  Spiders and Lucas Thorn had a lot in common.

  Interesting.

  I played with the green label on the beer bottle and yawned.

  It had been a long afternoon at the schools. Not only did I suddenly appreciate the fact that I was out of high school and free of the smell of books, lockers, and puberty—but luckily for me and Lucas, one of our school visits had been the very high school we’d attended.

  At different times of course.

  But it didn’t help that when we walked by the trophy case, there was still a picture of him and Kayla in their homecoming garb.

  Causing long-buried memories to flood to the surface.

  Memories of Kayla holding his hand and winking at me behind his back.

  Being obsessed with him, lusting after his stupid body when I was a freshman. And the night he held me in his arms, his lips brushing my seventeen-year-old skin.

  I wasn’t sure if I should block the glass case with my body or pull the fire alarm to distract him. I mean, was he over Kayla? The situation? I had no clue, but I did know that we needed to focus. To his credit Lucas completely ignored it. He put his professionalism first. I could learn a lot from him—loath as I was to admit it.

  When he needed to be all business, he was.

  Whereas I was having a minor anxiety attack, pitting out my shirt while my old principal sat a few rows in front of us and took notes about the new app.

  I almost tripped on my heels when Lucas asked me a question, one that I had to answer out loud—like I was in class—in front of at least half of the teachers who had taught me four years ago.

  Four years ago, when I’d graduated with bags under my eyes and a swollen face from crying.

  He was supposed to be at my graduation.

  He’d never made it.

  Then again, understandable since Grandpa had said he’d wait in the truck just in case he spotted Lucas—maybe he could run him over without getting caught.

  But still.

  “Um . . .” Lucas smiled brightly at me.

  I cleared my throat. “The stats show that if we give free access to the students, they’re ninety percent more likely to use the app to get homework done on time. Our rese
arch discovered that most high school students don’t complete their homework because they’re so busy with after-school activities that they don’t get started until pretty late at night or they’re too tired to finish.”

  “Thanks, Avery.” Lucas smiled again and addressed the teachers. “We’re ready to move beyond the beta phase, so with your permission we’d like to implement this program immediately and see how the students react.”

  The rest of the meeting went great.

  But I was completely drained by the time I made it home. Maybe it was because I’d had to keep my emotions in check around Lucas. Or maybe it was because those halls reminded me of how lost I had felt when I no longer had him as my rock.

  I slumped further into my kitchen chair, then snatched my beer, walked over to my living room—you know, like two feet away—and sat cross-legged on the floor in front of my laptop.

  It was too late to go out—not that I had plans or anything. I’d lied about Carl. Who the hell was named Carl? And a dancer? What had I been thinking? Good call, Avery, bragging about dating a ballerino in front of Lucas. That would show him.

  A man in tights.

  Well, superheroes wore tights, so it was kind of the same thing, right?

  My phone buzzed.

  And the name Lucas Thorn popped up on my screen.

  I stuck out my tongue, then finally answered. “Minion here.”

  “Satan calling,” he snapped right back.

  “Good one.”

  “So how’s the date? You know, the one with all the sex?”

  “It’s . . .” I looked around my empty apartment. Peeling paint clung desperately to the east wall near my bed, and my place smelled like old Chinese food and french fries. My stomach growled.

  I had one beer left.

  And leftover chow mein.

  Just under a hundred dollars, and I still had five days before I’d get paid.

  “Did you just sigh?” he asked.

  “No.” I sighed again.

  “Avery.”

  “Thorn.”

  “Be honest. Are you really out with Carl?”

  “He, uh, had a recital.” I slapped my hand against my forehead. Great, Avery, because grown men had recitals?

  Lucas was quiet for a moment. “Oh, so he teaches children, then?”

  Thank God one of us was logical. “YES!”

  “No need to shout it, Avery.”