but after a split second my traitorous body registered I was kissing a hot male and I responded by kissing him back.
John eased me out of the kiss and grinned. “Did it go well tonight, honey?”
Honey? He was doing this all for Scarlett’s benefit, I knew. I smiled and hoped it wasn’t too fake. “Really well.”
“Great.” John turned to Paul. “Nice to meet you. I guess we better get going.”
Paul nodded. “See you later.”
I stared at Paul for a moment. His expression was impassive, although I noticed his eyes were unusually hard.
“Bye, Paul. Thanks for coming tonight,” I managed.
John tugged my hand, pulling me toward Scarlett’s car, and we both got in the back seat.
Scarlett, already in the driver’s seat, gave Paul a wave out the window, and then gunned the engine of her restored classic Morris Minor. We shot off into the night before I had another chance to look at Paul.
“Scarlett!” I screamed from the back when we were farther down the road. “What the fuck was that?”
“Assistance,” she replied.
“You have no idea – ”
She turned to me, which immediately shut me up because I would have preferred it if she kept her eyes on the road. “No, Madeleine,” she said, then returned her eyes to the traffic, “ you have no idea. Sometimes you need to take a risk – ”
“Oh, don’t give me some bullshit rhetoric about risks, Scarlett. I run a business for God’s sake. I know about risks.”
“Yes, but you don’t know men like I do.”
“Well, obviously – ”
“Shut up. That man has feelings for you and you’re just going to let him get away.”
“He does not have feelings for me! Can’t you just get that into your thick head?”
“Jesus,” Scarlett said under her breath. “You might be good at business but as far as men are concerned – ”
“Just because I don’t fuck every guy I take a fancy to does not mean I’ve got no idea about men!”
John cleared his throat from beside me and I noticed him for the first time since we’d gotten in the car. “Sorry,” I said.
He shook his head. “It’s alright. I’m sorry I kissed you.” He pointed toward Scarlett. “She put me up to it.”
I forced myself not to laugh. I did genuinely like him. “It actually wasn’t that bad,” I told him.
He looked relieved. “Good to know.”
I turned back to Scarlett. “And putting poor John in the center of this is just unfair.”
“John’s a big boy. What I was trying to say, is that you didn’t see the look on Paul’s face when John was kissing you.”
“That’s because I was kissing John,” I muttered.
“He looked like he’d been kicked in the guts.”
“Wait. He did?”
“Yes! He went stiff as a board. I couldn’t decide if he was crushed or pissed, but either is a good reaction.”
I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. “Seriously. How on earth does this shit happen to me?” I moaned to no one in particular.
“Shut up and stop whining. This is good, Maddy. Really good.”
I raised my head and I knew the look I was directing her way was not a friendly one. “Please explain to me how this situation is in any way good, because right now I don’t see it.”
“Well, for one,” Scarlett said, zipping into a tiny gap in the traffic before we shot onto the Harbour Bridge, “John’s kiss has confirmed that Paul definitely has feelings for you.”
“Scarlett.” I was trying to be tactful, but my anger was getting the better of me. “Right before you arrived, I told Paul that I valued him as more than a business colleague. I told him I considered him a friend. Do you know how he reacted?”
“Well, I’m guessing he didn’t kiss you,” she replied dryly.
“No,” I said impatiently. “He was so awkward about it, I was grateful you turned up.”
“That’s because he doesn’t want you as a friend. He’s too busy imagining ripping your – ”
“Scarlett,” I cried. “Will you give it a rest?” I ran my fingers
John eased me out of the kiss and grinned. “Did it go well tonight, honey?”
Honey? He was doing this all for Scarlett’s benefit, I knew. I smiled and hoped it wasn’t too fake. “Really well.”
“Great.” John turned to Paul. “Nice to meet you. I guess we better get going.”
Paul nodded. “See you later.”
I stared at Paul for a moment. His expression was impassive, although I noticed his eyes were unusually hard.
“Bye, Paul. Thanks for coming tonight,” I managed.
John tugged my hand, pulling me toward Scarlett’s car, and we both got in the back seat.
Scarlett, already in the driver’s seat, gave Paul a wave out the window, and then gunned the engine of her restored classic Morris Minor. We shot off into the night before I had another chance to look at Paul.
“Scarlett!” I screamed from the back when we were farther down the road. “What the fuck was that?”
“Assistance,” she replied.
“You have no idea – ”
She turned to me, which immediately shut me up because I would have preferred it if she kept her eyes on the road. “No, Madeleine,” she said, then returned her eyes to the traffic, “ you have no idea. Sometimes you need to take a risk – ”
“Oh, don’t give me some bullshit rhetoric about risks, Scarlett. I run a business for God’s sake. I know about risks.”
“Yes, but you don’t know men like I do.”
“Well, obviously – ”
“Shut up. That man has feelings for you and you’re just going to let him get away.”
“He does not have feelings for me! Can’t you just get that into your thick head?”
“Jesus,” Scarlett said under her breath. “You might be good at business but as far as men are concerned – ”
“Just because I don’t fuck every guy I take a fancy to does not mean I’ve got no idea about men!”
John cleared his throat from beside me and I noticed him for the first time since we’d gotten in the car. “Sorry,” I said.
He shook his head. “It’s alright. I’m sorry I kissed you.” He pointed toward Scarlett. “She put me up to it.”
I forced myself not to laugh. I did genuinely like him. “It actually wasn’t that bad,” I told him.
He looked relieved. “Good to know.”
I turned back to Scarlett. “And putting poor John in the center of this is just unfair.”
“John’s a big boy. What I was trying to say, is that you didn’t see the look on Paul’s face when John was kissing you.”
“That’s because I was kissing John,” I muttered.
“He looked like he’d been kicked in the guts.”
“Wait. He did?”
“Yes! He went stiff as a board. I couldn’t decide if he was crushed or pissed, but either is a good reaction.”
I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. “Seriously. How on earth does this shit happen to me?” I moaned to no one in particular.
“Shut up and stop whining. This is good, Maddy. Really good.”
I raised my head and I knew the look I was directing her way was not a friendly one. “Please explain to me how this situation is in any way good, because right now I don’t see it.”
“Well, for one,” Scarlett said, zipping into a tiny gap in the traffic before we shot onto the Harbour Bridge, “John’s kiss has confirmed that Paul definitely has feelings for you.”
“Scarlett.” I was trying to be tactful, but my anger was getting the better of me. “Right before you arrived, I told Paul that I valued him as more than a business colleague. I told him I considered him a friend. Do you know how he reacted?”
“Well, I’m guessing he didn’t kiss you,” she replied dryly.
“No,” I said impatiently. “He was so awkward about it, I was grateful you turned up.”
“That’s because he doesn’t want you as a friend. He’s too busy imagining ripping your – ”
“Scarlett,” I cried. “Will you give it a rest?” I ran my fingers
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