“Good morning.” Her voice is groggy.

She reaches up her arms and stretches, giving me a view of her stomach. It’s a bad idea on her part because my imagination just flashed to my lips trailing on her bare skin.

“Good morning. I have something in the oven for you.”

Her chest rises and falls. “It smells delicious. I swear, if I lived with you, I’d unnecessarily gain about twenty pounds.” She clears the distance and takes a seat on my barstool.

I pour her a cup of coffee and slide it to her. “You’d love to live with me.”

“My ass wouldn’t.” She sips her coffee and concentrates on the table before her.

“You have a great ass.”

Her head flies up, and she studies me for a second. “My head hurts. I’m going back to the couch.”

I pull the cinnamon rolls out and let them cool, and then I grab my coffee to join her. “Do you want some Aleve?”

“No, I’ll be okay after this.” She raises the mug in the air and sips the coffee. “Seriously, how do you know how to make coffee so good? You should open a coffee shop.”

I laugh. “You’d be one of my only customers.”

“Please. Girls would come just to stare at you.”

So, she thinks I’m attractive. That’s a start.

“Let’s hope Edith and Karla think I’m worth investing in as much as you think so.” I change the subject because I don’t care what other girls want. I only care about what she wants.

“They will. I think we were believable last night.”

“Yeah.”

Last night flows through my brain again, how I deceived the ones who would be doing me a favor. Is it deceitful if it’s something you might want in the future?

“Can I ask you a question?” She twists in her seat to face me directly.

“What’s up?” I mimic the motion, and my arm extends along the back of the couch.

We’ve been in this position once, and I almost kissed her then. That was when I only wanted to sleep with her. Now, it would be for more than one night—but not until Davis is out of her life.

“If you were really into someone, wouldn’t you always be thinking of that person? Wouldn’t you text or call them every day?” Her teeth nibble on her lip.

I wish I could tell her ‘I’ve been thinking of you every minute of every day lately’.

“Isn’t that the whole love thing? So, Davis isn’t calling?”

“He’s called a few times. It’s me that I’m worried about.” She waves her hand in the air. “Forget it. Just forget I said anything.”

“No. Why are you worried about yourself?”

I nudge a little closer to her, and she doesn’t back away.

Is she saying what I think she is? Maybe I should just kiss her and see her reaction.

“It’s just that he’s not—”

A knock hits the door, and my head falls.

“Continue,” I say. I’m not going to answer the door.

“I know you’re in there!” Tatiana screams from outside the door. “I smell the yummies. Let me in!”

Noodle laughs and moves to stand. I grab her wrist, and she turns around. She tilts her head, and I almost feel like she’s telling me something, that her head is a jumble of emotions. Maybe, just maybe, I’m in there somewhere, fighting for a spot.

“She’ll only get louder.”

I release my grip and watch her amazing ass swing as she makes her way to the door.

“You guys are holding out on me.” Tatiana strolls in and makes herself a plate.

“Help yourself,” I mumble.

Her eyes ping as she chomps down on a piece of bread. She figures out she’s interrupted something, but there’s no going back now. Even if I could ask Noodle again, she’d dodge it. The moment is lost.

“You surprise me all the time.” She ignores the oddity when she walked in. “Amazing cook.”

“Chef,” Noodle corrects her.

My smile isn’t worth fighting. This girl would go to bat for me over and over again.

“Sorry.” Tatiana places her palm in the air to Noodle. “I didn’t mean to disrespect him.”

Her eyes ping between us again then rest on Noodle. They have a nonverbal conversation, and I pray it’s about me.

Noodle is clearly confused on what to do with Davis. I refuse to win by being second choice, so I hope she makes the right decision and breaks up with him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Amelia

My shoes skid to a stop on the hardwood floor of Art on Wells. Bette is sitting at my desk, frantically shifting through papers.

“What’s going on?” I lean over the counter.

“Thank goodness. You really need to work on your time management, Amelia.” She never looks up as her fingers shuffle through the stack of invoices.

I hold my phone up and see I’m actually five minutes before scheduled. “I’m early.”

I wish I could pat myself on the back, but Bette glances up over the rim of her reading glasses, clearly not going to congratulate me on being timely.

“What are you looking for?” I round my desk and peer over her shoulder.

“Victor Treddle’s invoice. You’ll never believe it. He canceled his showing in two weeks.” She leans back in my chair and crosses her legs.

I take the stack of papers to search myself.

“Something about his art brushes aren’t talking to him.” She flails her hand in the air.

“Well, he is an artist. It’s better to cancel than to have crappy pieces,” I mumble softly because Bette isn’t fond of people speaking their minds, especially when it goes against hers.

“Nothing Victor has ever done is crappy, Amelia.” She rises to her feet and places her hands on her hips. “I’m putting you in his spot, so be prepared.”

She clicks away to her office.

“Are you serious?” I call out.

“Yes, but I want new photos. Only of Todd Hamilton,” she yells over her shoulder. “Find me Victor’s last invoice.”

“Thanks, Bet—”

Her door slams shut.

I pull out my phone and search for my group text between Tatiana and Todd. They should both know at the same time.

Me: I got a show. Two weeks.

I tap my shoe, waiting for those three dots, and then Tati’s response comes up first.

Tatiana: Woohoo! Congratulations! I’m taking you to lunch today.

Then, it’s like a bombardment of texts.

Todd: Me, too. I’ll beat Tatiana there. I get the first hug.

Tatiana: Screw you. I’m leaving now.

Todd: I’m already on my way.

Tatiana: I’m on Wells.

Me: Guys, I have to work. Dinner at the apartment tonight. I have to get more pictures of Todd. You up for it?

Todd: You can have me whenever you want me.

My stomach flutters.

Tatiana: So unfair. I can’t offer Lia my naked body.

Todd: See? I’m the better friend. I’ll even let you touch if you want, Noodle.

Tatiana: Seriously, just screw each other, please.

No one responds for a few seconds, and I’m too busy trying to gain my composure after the touch comment.

Tatiana: Ha-ha! I’ve stunned you both to silence. I am the queen.

Tatiana: Hello?

Todd: Gotta go. See you all tonight. Congratulations.

Me: Thank you, guys.

Tatiana: How did this convo get so polite?

I click on a private text to Tatiana.

Me: Nice, Tati.

Tatiana: What? If you weren’t convinced before, you should be now. The boy wants you.

Me: I don’t know.

Tatiana: Yes, you do.

Me: Tati, what am I supposed to do?

Tatiana: Follow your heart.

I don’t respond to her. I can’t. I’m still grasping on to this different Todd who keeps emerging ever since Davis left town.

Shit. Davis.