Hot Mess (LBSC #1) | Completed

Chapter 18

"I can't believe he's picking you up here!" Zoey said, flitting around our living room. "That's so romantic! Who does that anymore?" She narrowed her eyes and glared at Hayden sitting on the couch flipping through a magazine. He grunted in response, not even glancing up from the glossy pages.

"It doesn't mean anything," I bluffed, but I was secretly thrilled that Zoey was envious. I spun in a circle for last minute validation of my outfit: dark skinny jeans, a sexy, over-sized blouse with the back completely made out of lace, a sheer scarf, and zebra-print flats.

Zoey walked over and placed her small hands on my shoulders. "Stop worrying! You look great. That outfit says 'I'm up for anything.'"

"'I'm up for anything' isn't the vibe I want to give off on the first date," I said, shaking off Zoey's hands. "I have to change."

The intercom next our front door buzzed.

"Shit! Zoey, don't answer until after I'm done," I called as I made a dash for my room.

"Too late," she chirped with one hand on the button. "Hello? This is apartment 2B."

"Hi, my name is Javier Delgado. I'm here to pick up Reese MacDowell."

"I hate you!" I hissed. I grabbed my purse—now fairly empty—and reviewed its contents.

"You're at the right place, I'll buzz you up." Zoey turned away from the intercom. "One day you'll thank me for this."

About half a minute later a knock sounded at the door.

"Eek! He's here!" Zoey exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes to play down my nervousness. "God, Zoey, you're more excited than I am." Before I could reach the door, Zoey flung it open.

Javi stood there looking just as handsome as he had in Cuppa. Again he was wearing the leather jacket and jeans that I'd always seen him in. Clasped in his right hand was a small bouquet of white daisies.

"Hi! I've heard so much about you," Zoey greeted him. Out of Javi's eyesight I gave her a good pinch on the hip.

"I wish I could say the same," Javi said with a brilliant smile. "And you are?"

"Zoey." She extended her hand. "I'm Reese's best friend and her roommate."

"And I'm Hayden," he said, also coming to crowd around the door. "I'm Zoey's boyfriend and Reese's unofficial second roommate, which means I'm the man of the house." He crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance. "So, what are your intentions with our Reese?"

I pushed past Zoey and Hayden and shook my head. "Hi Javi. Please ignore these idiots." I pointed at the flowers. "Are those for me?"

"Yeah, they are," he said, still looking back and forth between me and my friends. He smiled as he handed them over. "I wanted to bring you flowers but I didn't really peg you for a roses kind of girl."

I resisted the urge to pout. Why wasn't I a "roses kind of girl"?

"They're lovely," Zoey filled in when I didn't respond. She gave me a nudge.

"Yeah, they're nice," I said. "Could you put these in water for me?"

"Sure." Zoey accepted the flowers but didn't budge. She stood next to Hayden, a wide smile on her face.

"Well, we should get going," I said Javi, pointedly ignoring Zoey and Hayden's odd, intrusive behavior. I steered Javi to the stairs.

"Be home by eleven!" Zoey called, leaning out into the hallway.