Vic Vaughn is Vicious

“Why not?” Ella is chewing on her pen.

“Because.” I shrug. “We’re too different. I’m not like him, he’s not like me. The only thing we have in common is my daughter. And that’s just not enough, ladies. Plus, he told me he was taking me out to dinner last night, then he got too busy with sorority-girl tattoos.”

“Ohhh,” Ella says. “What a dick.”

“Right?” I say.

“Yeah, fuck him,” Rina says. “I bet he tattoos tits up all the time.”

“Or worse.” Luu snickers.

“Exactly.” I cross my arms and take a deep breath. “So I’m not even getting involved. I was never into him—it was a one-night thing—but that was a long time ago. I’m so not into him now.”

“Right,” Ella says.

“You go, girl,” Rina says.

“You’re too good for him,” Luu says.

“I know.” And then I sit down, feeling much better that all the girls are on my side. Even if they have no clue what they are talking about.

We study in silence for a while, then I go get us some fresh coffee, and then pretty soon, it’s time for my one final of the day. Calculus. Which I hate, but I am prepared for it. So that goes smoothly, and then before I know it, the test is over and I’m done for the day.

I’m thinking I might drive up to Veronica’s house and pick Vivi up against her will, but when I turn up the aisle where I parked the truck, who is leaning up against the front fender?

“Hey.” Vic waves. “How’d the test go?”

“What are you doing here? How did you even find the truck in the parking lots?”

“Your girls texted me. Told me where to find you and what time you’d be done.”

“What? What girls?” But then I get it. Those sneaky shits stole my phone while I got them coffee and texted Vic. I cannot stop the smile so I have to turn away from Vic for a moment to hide it. “Huh.” Because I never thought of Ella, Rina, or Luu as friends. They are my study partners. I am a lonely single mom who spent the first five years of my child’s life secluded on a dairy farm and the last year and a half just trying to survive. I don’t have friends.

I didn’t have friends, anyway. Until today.

Or maybe that’s just my hangup? Maybe they have always seen me as a friend?

“Daisy?”

“Hmm?” I turn back to Vic.

“Are you mad at me? I’m sorry about last night. I could fucking kill Belinda over that mistake. But you’re done now, right? You’ve got time for me?”

I pull out my phone and look at the time. “It’s already one.” I shrug. “You’ve got clients soon.”

“Not today. I gave them to my pops.”

“What?”

“I’m gonna make it up to you.”

“How?”

He opens the passenger door to the truck. “Get in and find out.”

And even though I was ranting about how we are not meant to be together—I let myself hope.

Because I want us to be together.

I have always wanted Vic Vaughn.

So I get in.

And I have hope.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN - VIC

“So. Where are we going?”

“East,” I say.

“There’s not much out there in the east.”

I point at her. “I’ll have you know, this is the dairy farm capital of Colorado.”

She breaks a smile. Then an actual chuckle.

“You’re a tough crowd, you know that?”

“What you’re really saying,” Daisy says, “is that I’m uptight.”

“Daisy.” I side-eye her for a moment before taking my eyes back to the road. “You and I had sex. It was just one time seven years ago, but nothing you did that night in bed qualifies as uptight.”

“What?” This time her laugh is immediate. “Fuck you.” But she’s still laughing so it’s a congenial ‘fuck you’.

“Fuck me what? You were an animal in bed.”

She guffaws this time. Doesn’t even bother with words.

“Why are you laughing? I’m not joking.”

“OK.” She puts up a hand. “Whatever. I have very little recollection of that night, and I highly doubt you do either, but I’m a hundred percent positive that you are now confusing me with someone else.”

“You know all the words to I’m Too Sexy.”

Her mouth drops open. “What?”

“Tell me you don’t know all the words.”

“How do you know that?”

“Animal,” I say.

“No, seriously. Are we talking about the same I’m Too Sexy song?”

“‘Too sexy for my shirt?’”

“Oh, my God.”

“‘Too sexy for my car.’”

“Stop it. This is a fluke.”

“Is it? Or maybe you just don’t remember how you were too sexy for me that night.”

“I’m not listening.” She turns in her seat and looks out the window. “That did not happen.”

“What did not happen? What do you think I’m talking about? And if it didn’t happen, how do you know what I’m talking about?”

She covers her face with both hands.

“Anyway,” I say, feeling pretty satisfied. “Um. I can honestly say you were like… how should I put this? Too sexy for my bedroom that night.”