… but nothing works with him, Claire. It’s rather frustrating, because I don’t want him to keep hurting this way, but there’s nothing I can do, nothing that will suit us both.”
She sighed and scrunched her nose. “Maybe someday he’ll get it, but this new man … He’s not some random randy bloke that you met on the street, right?”
Randy bloke? Maybe. Random? Hardly.
“ I met him a few times…” I trailed off, blushing as I bit my lip. “He’s actually Hugo’s best friend.” Did that make me seem like a tart? At this point, did it matter? Barely.
She immediately frowned. “Please don’t tell me you hunted the poor man because you’re the scorned ex-lover of said super mighty hot best friend?”
Rolling my eyes, I ignored her innuendo that I probably wasn’t in the best shape, mentally and emotionally. “He’s a guest here and the issued invite for tonight was a spur of the moment thing. Nothing was planned. It wasn’t like that…”
“ Do you fancy the man?”
I raised my brow at her, aghast.
She made some lazy hand gestures before adding, “This best friend, whatever his name is.”
“ Julien. And no, I don’t fancy him in that sense, but if you’re curious to know if he’s handsome … Well, let’s just say the man knows how to make me blush. He’s quite a charmer and very easy on the eyes. It’s a lethal playboy combination, one I try to stay away from.”
She had the audacity to tap her chin, pretending to ponder my situation. “Oh, right, ‘cause going as his date tonight is the best way to take your own advice.”
“ It’s not like that. I don’t know…” I sighed loudly before deciding to take the white leather chair that was situated in the corner, feeling a little lost all of a sudden. “I have this feeling that, if I don’t go tonight, I might miss my chance.”
“ Chance for what?” Claire took the opposing chair, appearing more confused than I was.
“ I have no idea.” I wish I did. “It’s simply a feeling I got, and I had to follow my gut.”
“ Bloody hell, you’re making this Julien man break bro codes. Best we transform you into a super model in case you have to deck it out with the sexy French ex-lover. If it does happen, it’s safer to be equipped with all of your best assets.”
I couldn’t agree more. Therefore, with a mission in mind, we started to work together since I had so little time on my hands—about forty-five minutes, give or take.
While she helped me with my hair, I was applying my foundation.
She paused, seeking my eyes through our reflection in the large expanse of the mirror. “One more thing, Isobel. I hope you won’t take offence in this, and if you don’t agree, I don’t mind, because I value our friendship above all else. I hope you know that, don’t you?”
Her blabbering was making me positively nervous. “What is it? It’s nothing horrid, is it?”
“ No,” she breathed out, as if having a trifling time gathering her bearings. “Well, I hope you don’t consider it as such.”
Bloody fuck. “Say it, Claire, or I might go bonkers from waiting!” I exclaimed with exasperation. She was making me more jittery than I already was. What could it be?
“ Okay.” She glared at me before she started to look as if she was preparing herself for war. “I need your permission, you see. Well, I meant to ask—if it’s perfectly fine that is—if I could ask Noah out.”
She likes Noah?
Well, hell. Good for her.
Seriously, the only qualm I had with her was, what took her this long to ask me?
“ You’re an idiot. Of course you can. There was no need to make it appear as if our friendship was doomed if you asked the question out loud. Noah’s a great man; I think you might find a gem in him.”
“ From the few times I’ve met him, he’s quite a proper, genuine man. I also admire the fact that he’s passionately invested in his craft. He’s also funny, and I can’t fault a man who has a knack for
She sighed and scrunched her nose. “Maybe someday he’ll get it, but this new man … He’s not some random randy bloke that you met on the street, right?”
Randy bloke? Maybe. Random? Hardly.
“ I met him a few times…” I trailed off, blushing as I bit my lip. “He’s actually Hugo’s best friend.” Did that make me seem like a tart? At this point, did it matter? Barely.
She immediately frowned. “Please don’t tell me you hunted the poor man because you’re the scorned ex-lover of said super mighty hot best friend?”
Rolling my eyes, I ignored her innuendo that I probably wasn’t in the best shape, mentally and emotionally. “He’s a guest here and the issued invite for tonight was a spur of the moment thing. Nothing was planned. It wasn’t like that…”
“ Do you fancy the man?”
I raised my brow at her, aghast.
She made some lazy hand gestures before adding, “This best friend, whatever his name is.”
“ Julien. And no, I don’t fancy him in that sense, but if you’re curious to know if he’s handsome … Well, let’s just say the man knows how to make me blush. He’s quite a charmer and very easy on the eyes. It’s a lethal playboy combination, one I try to stay away from.”
She had the audacity to tap her chin, pretending to ponder my situation. “Oh, right, ‘cause going as his date tonight is the best way to take your own advice.”
“ It’s not like that. I don’t know…” I sighed loudly before deciding to take the white leather chair that was situated in the corner, feeling a little lost all of a sudden. “I have this feeling that, if I don’t go tonight, I might miss my chance.”
“ Chance for what?” Claire took the opposing chair, appearing more confused than I was.
“ I have no idea.” I wish I did. “It’s simply a feeling I got, and I had to follow my gut.”
“ Bloody hell, you’re making this Julien man break bro codes. Best we transform you into a super model in case you have to deck it out with the sexy French ex-lover. If it does happen, it’s safer to be equipped with all of your best assets.”
I couldn’t agree more. Therefore, with a mission in mind, we started to work together since I had so little time on my hands—about forty-five minutes, give or take.
While she helped me with my hair, I was applying my foundation.
She paused, seeking my eyes through our reflection in the large expanse of the mirror. “One more thing, Isobel. I hope you won’t take offence in this, and if you don’t agree, I don’t mind, because I value our friendship above all else. I hope you know that, don’t you?”
Her blabbering was making me positively nervous. “What is it? It’s nothing horrid, is it?”
“ No,” she breathed out, as if having a trifling time gathering her bearings. “Well, I hope you don’t consider it as such.”
Bloody fuck. “Say it, Claire, or I might go bonkers from waiting!” I exclaimed with exasperation. She was making me more jittery than I already was. What could it be?
“ Okay.” She glared at me before she started to look as if she was preparing herself for war. “I need your permission, you see. Well, I meant to ask—if it’s perfectly fine that is—if I could ask Noah out.”
She likes Noah?
Well, hell. Good for her.
Seriously, the only qualm I had with her was, what took her this long to ask me?
“ You’re an idiot. Of course you can. There was no need to make it appear as if our friendship was doomed if you asked the question out loud. Noah’s a great man; I think you might find a gem in him.”
“ From the few times I’ve met him, he’s quite a proper, genuine man. I also admire the fact that he’s passionately invested in his craft. He’s also funny, and I can’t fault a man who has a knack for
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