Unfriending the Dr: A Small Town Friends to Lovers Romance

Hannah rolled her eyes and let out a long huff of air. “None of them work out, Persy, until they do. That’s how this works. Teddy had a string of bad, terrible, no-good relationships until this one with Cal that worked out. Same with Antonio. That’s just how this works.” She took a step back and folded her arms, blond brows taunting me. “But if you’re too scared to go for it, that’s another matter altogether.”

She thought that was a challenge, but the truth was that Hannah had hit the nail on the head. “I am scared, Hannah. Scared as hell, in fact.”

Teddy leaned in close, her serious face on. “If you tell anyone I said this, I’ll deny it and beat you to within an inch of your life, but that’s how you know it matters. You’re scared because there’s so much at stake, and that’s how you know it’s something worth chasing.”

“You really believe that?”

Teddy was in love now, but she was a realist, and I hadn’t realized until that moment that I was counting on her to agree with me.

“Damn straight, I do. You think I wasn’t scared to start up something with Cal? He already proved he couldn’t be trusted, but that didn’t make him any less irresistible to me. The heart wants what she wants.”

“Maybe my heart is just horny?”

Teddy and Hannah laughed. “She’s probably that, too, but that’s not all she is. She’s lonely. She wants Ryan.” Teddy let out another sigh and flung a long, sculpted arm around me. “Give Ryan a day or two to think over your proposition. And then seduce him.” Teddy’s smile was wicked, almost mischievous, and in that moment, I wished I possessed her ability to just go for it.

“I’m not sure that I can seduce him.” That was what I said, but on the heels of those words came an image, clear as day, of me doing just that. Dressed in something slinky and sexy, I saw myself making it impossible for Ryan to resist me. “Okay, I’m in. How do I seduce him?”

Hannah frowned. “Seriously? You already did it once.”

“But not on purpose, and it’s been a long damn time since I actually seduced a man.” Too many years to count, sadly.

Teddy finished her drink with a growl and slammed the glass down. “Wear something sexy, preferably lace or just see-through. And feed him. The tits will do the rest. Easy peasy.”

It didn’t sound all that easy. “That’s terrible advice, Teddy.”

She jutted her chin out with a defiant arch of one eyebrow. “Is it? Or are you just scared to be the bold, badass woman you want to be? You’re already that woman, so stop dicking around.” She rolled her eyes. “Men are easy. It’s us women who make them seem all complicated and mysterious. They aren’t. Trust me.”

“True dat,” Hannah added with a groan.

I let my friends’ words sink in as we started another game of pool. Was I making things more complicated than they needed to be? Was this as simple as closing my eyes and letting go?

I didn’t know, but the idea of following Teddy’s advice was appealing. Really damn appealing. Before I left The Outpost, I knew there was only one way to find out.

Seduce him.

I was going to seduce my best friend.

Heaven help me.

Ryan

The worst part of being the sole person responsible for keeping Branson Automotive running was absolutely, without a doubt, hands down, dealing with the paperwork. It was a necessary evil to make sure I operated in the black, to make sure I didn’t overpay for parts and pass that on to my loyal customers. Every month, I put it off until it could no longer be delayed.

That’s why it was after midnight and I sat on Persephone’s sofa with my inventory receipts, printed out spreadsheets, and order forms spread all around me and spilling onto the coffee table. The place was a mess because I hated staring at a damn computer for hours at a time, so I printed out the spreadsheet and compared it to receipts, stock and future orders. Maybe I should take Persephone up on her offer to help me find a bookkeeper.

At some point.

It was an expense I didn’t want to think about, no matter how much business sense it made.

The sound of the front door opening and then closing softly was exactly the distraction I needed. Persephone stumbled into the living room, wobbling as she toed off one shoe and then the other.

“Hey, Ry.” Her brows crinkled as she took in the papers that covered half of my body. “What are you doing?”

“Paperwork,” I answered with an amused smile. “Somebody’s been drinking.”

She raised her hand. “Guilty. But only a little.” To punctuate her point, she held her thumb and forefinger less than an inch apart, one eye slanted, lips curled into a crooked smile.