Hot Mess (LBSC #1) | Completed

Chapter 24

I spent the next day on the couch eating cereal, binge-watching ALF, and generally being miserable. I was having quite the streak of bad luck lately with Zoey getting engaged, and losing my job at Day Glo. And Quinn had sent me a pretty lame text saying he'd heard what happened, and to give him a call if I needed anything. Yeah, like that would happen any time soon. At least I'd been able to look forward to a date with Javi.

"Hello, Leasing Specialist MacDowell," Javi greeted me after I trotted down the steps of my apartment later that night. He was leaning against his brother's car and holding open the passenger door.

"Hey, you!" I readily accepted his hug and clung to him longer than necessary. "Ready to go get your dance on?"

Javi grinned. "Actually there's been a change of plans."

My eyes narrowed. "What kind of change of plans?" I gestured down at my white dress covered with red lip prints. "I didn't put this on just for shits and giggles."

"I've been thinking about your goal situation and I want to help."

Interesting. "Oh?"

"You've landed your big girl job and your hot date, but you still need your feat of awesomeness, right? And you've only got eight days."

"Thanks for reminding me," I said. "So, what's the plan?"

Javi grinned again. "It's a surprise."

"You're not going to drive me to the country and dismember me, are you?"

"Crap, you found out my plan for our next date." He inclined his head toward the car. "Hop in."

I obeyed and he closed the door after me.

"It'll be fun. I promise," he said after he'd settled himself in the driver's seat.

"It better be."I'd actually been looking forward to the dancing.

We rode in silence for a little bit before Javi said, "I can't believe those idiots at the bar fired you."

"I know!" I exclaimed. "Shows how much they really thought of me."

"Have you talked to Quinn?"

"As a matter of fact I did. Are you jealous?"

Javi took his eyes off the road to look at me. "Should I be?"

I rolled my eyes. "No. He didn't even call; he just texted saying he heard what had happened and was sorry. Not even a flipping call. Some friend."

Javi said nothing as he pulled the the car into a parking spot outside a small, single-story brick building. He reached behind my seat and pulled out two bottles of wine.

"Do you always have bottles of wine on hand?" I asked.

"You never know when you might need one," he replied seriously. With the bottles under his arm, he got out of the car and came around to the passenger's side. "Follow me," he said after he'd opened my door.

Curious and a teensy bit apprehensive, I took Javi's hand and let him lead me forward. He led us through a set of glass doors and past a couple of closed doors made of cherry wood. We were moving so fast I didn't get a chance to read the placards on them.

"Here we are," he said, stopping in front of a scratched, purple door, out of place when compared to all the rest. "Pints & Paints" was scrawled on it in gold glittery paint.