Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 92070 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92070 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
I let Dare lead as we eat, pay, walk outside the restaurant.
"Are you sure we can't convince you to join for a drink?” Dare asks.
"Thanks, but I have an early day." Archie looks to me.
Dare clears his throat. "I'm gonna use the bathroom one more time. Meet you back here."
Oh. Right. I'm supposed to kiss him.
Hug him, at least.
I nod no problem and Dare leaves, and I'm alone with Archie in the cool evening air.
I don't feel anything. Not even nerves. "Thanks for coming out."
He nods. "Dare is a good guy. You were right." He laughs.
"The name is silly though."
"He's silly."
"Is he?" He taps his chin. "Yeah, he's got a sense of humor, but he's protective of you too. Almost like…" He looks to the restaurant and raises a brow.
I follow his gaze.
Dare isn't in the bathroom. He's in the front, pretending to look at his phone.
"He likes you," Archie says.
What? No. That's not possible. My entire body flushes. "We're just friends." It feels less believable than it usually does.
"No." Archie shakes his head. "You're not."
"I'm supposed to be flirting with you." Shit. Why did I say that? My cheeks flush.
Archie's laugh is awkward. "Why?"
"Because…"
"Because…"
Right. I should have a better answer. "It's been a while. And I… I don't want to make things awkward, but, uh, I want to have sex with someone before I leave Europe. I know I just left Europe and came back, but before I really leave. And you're cute and nice and you've always been sweet to me."
"You're a beautiful woman, Val."
Oh.
"But I don't want to get in the middle of whatever is happening here."
He looks to where Dare was standing. And, yeah, he's gone now, but the impression of him is obvious.
My best friend was here; he was watching; he was attentive and obvious and totally beyond what a normal friend does.
"If you two figure this out, you know where to find me." He smiles and pulls me into a hug. "Good night, Val."
"Good night."
"For what it's worth, I think you'd make a great couple." He kisses me on the cheek.
I nod good night.
And he leaves.
And I don't feel any loss of him. Only the vague concern I'll disappoint my best friend.
A moment later, Dare meets me outside. He surveys the area, noting the dark sky, the quiet conversations on the street corners, the total lack of Archie. "He already left? What happened?"
"He kissed me." That's true.
"You kissed him back?"
"On the cheek."
He nods, good. "That's progress. That's great."
I don't tell him the rest. Because why should I? He thinks it's great I kissed someone else.
That's what we're doing here. Dare is helping me sleep with Archie. Only Archie isn't interested. So what the hell am I doing here?
"Don't worry. We'll seal the deal," he says. "Just need to send a few flirty texts from our next location."
"We need to send them?"
"Yeah, we. You ready?"
No, but here goes nothing.
Chapter Seventeen
DARE
The bar is a whirlwind of excess. Cotton-candy-like tissue paper clouds, twinkling lights wrapped around fake palm trees, comic-book-inspired art, neon signs.
A perfect place for my first night with Val.
Not because it's a gay bar—
Though, really, that's the ideal place for her to get her feet wet. She's not ready to flirt with her roommate. She's not ready to flirt with strangers. A friendly conversation or two with a man who isn't interested in screwing her is a good place for her to start.
It's not that I'm trying to c-block her. Sure, I hate the thought of Archie's lips on her skin, but I am doing this.
Eventually.
She has four days. We can take our time.
Why are you arguing with yourself?
We both know why you picked this place, and it's not the cheeky decor, as amazing as it is.
It's the lack of competition.
"I bet you've never been," I say.
"Well, yeah." She laughs. "We're in the gay neighborhood."
"The men's thong shop tipped you off?"
She nods. "Barcelona isn't that big. But you're right. I've never been. I love it already." She studies the place with wide eyes and smiles. "It's perfect. This time, when you threaten to kiss a guy if I don't, you'll actually have to follow through."
A laugh spills from my lips. "True."
She waves to the bartender, exchanges a friendly hello, turns to me. "He says sit wherever."
Despite being a cool spot in a hip neighborhood, the inside of the bar is empty, there are a dozen patrons on the patio outside, smoking. And, sure, it's early (ish) and a weeknight, but I'm still surprised the place is dead. And surprised I'm so relieved.
I want the quiet time with her.
Well, quiet is pushing it—this place might be in the dictionary under Loud Decor—but it's still our space for the evening.
"The menu's online." She moves around the corner to a booth across from a mirror. "There's a QR code here."