Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 157(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 157(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
“How much time do we have to look?” Nolan inquired as they started a slow mosey down the street.
Sky pulled out his phone and frowned. “Our reservations are in fifteen minutes. The restaurant is just across this block and over one. It would take just less than five minutes to walk there from here.”
“Then a steady wander and we’ll be there on time while still seeing art. Everything worked out fine. We—shit.” As he spoke, his eyes locked on the one person he hadn’t expected to see here today. His best friend, Jennifer.
And considering the way she was making a beeline straight for them, it was clear that she had spotted him. Unfortunately, the two plastic flutes of champagne or sparkling grape juice in her hands and the scowl on her face were not reassuring.
“Should I assume that you know that very unhappy woman?” Sky asked in a low voice. “Shit! Are you bi? Is that your ex? Shit, does your ex not know you’re bi? Should I not hang on you? No! Should I kiss you?”
Nolan threw his head back and laughed. There were times he just loved how Sky’s brain worked. “No. No, to…most of that. That’s Jennifer, my friend. We’ve never dated. I’m not bi. I’m gay.”
“Can I still kiss you?” Sky pressed.
“Later.” Nolan turned his attention toward his friend. “Hey, Jen. I wasn’t expecting to—”
“Fuck, Nolan! You’ve gotta save me from my date!”
Chapter 3
Skylar Wallace
Sky blinked at the woman.
That was not what he’d been expecting her to say.
At least she hadn’t warned Nolan to get far away from the strange man next to him. That was definitely a good thing.
Even Nolan was staring at her in silence, his lips parted in a small O shape. After a full second of this, Nolan shook his head as if to restart his brain.
“Jennifer, this is Skylar Wallace, my neighbor from across the street and my date for tonight,” Nolan introduced while taking Sky’s hand in his again. “Sky, this is Jennifer Cates, my insane best friend who makes poor life choices.”
Sky snorted. “Man, don’t we all.”
Jennifer’s small, round face instantly brightened with a wide smile. “I know, right?” She gasped. “Adorable witch across the street? Are you the one who has the orgies?”
“Oh fuck,” Nolan groaned, which was better than Sky could manage. With one question, Jennifer had rendered his brain completely inoperable.
“Orgies?” he croaked, trying to get things to reboot.
“She’s watched your friends arriving through my front window. She was convinced you were either a coven of witches or having weekly orgies. I told her you were a witch. Not having orgies.”
Wow. It was impressive that she’d actually hit the nail on the head, considering her other option was orgies.
“No orgies. Just friends getting together to watch BL.”
“Oh! That’s fun.” She suddenly squeezed her eyes together and huffed. “No, I need to focus.” When she opened her eyes again, she stared straight at Nolan. “I need your help. This date is going so bad. He’s boring, rude, and so condescending. I can’t decide if it’s because I’m a woman or blond or if he’s just like this with everyone, but I need your help to get me out of this.”
“Where is he now?” Nolan glanced around, searching for the date she was so eager to escape.
She tilted her head toward the way she had come. “Bathroom in the shop on the corner.”
“Do you want me to call you so you can claim there’s some emergency? Like your mom is sick or something,” Nolan suggested.
Jennifer quickly shook her head. “No, he’s the type who would demand to accompany me to my mom’s or the hospital.”
“Why don’t you just tell him you’re having a horrible time and that you should just end the date now?” Sky asked.
Both Jennifer and Nolan leaped away from him and hissed. The looks twisting up their faces made him think he’d offered to set a church on fire or kick a puppy.
“Oh, God no!” Nolan gasped.
“He’s crazy.”
Sky almost rolled his eyes. “Introverts?”
Nolan pointed to himself. “I’m the introvert and can’t stand confrontation.” He moved his finger to point at Jennifer. “She can’t stand confrontation and has too soft of a heart.”
“But I can stick up for my friends!” Jennifer suddenly chirped. She directed one of her flutes at Sky and narrowed her eyes. “You hurt Nolan, and we will have words, Orgy Man.”
How in the world had he been described as the weird one because he was the witch? He was standing in front of two humans who were just a bundle of crazy contradictions. At least he knew he wasn’t the only weird one.
“What if…we made him just a tiny bit sick?” Sky suggested.
Nolan frowned, but Jennifer appeared thoughtful, one pale-brown eyebrow arching.
“How sick are we talking? Like food poisoning? Send him to the hospital sick?” she inquired.