Love Under Construction (Love By Design 1)

“Damn, this reminds me of that night Hunter came and got us while my mom’s car had a missing wheel.”

Groaning, I gave her a gentle shove. Wasn’t I just thinking about how I didn’t want to have to relive that, like ever? “KC, stop, you’re about to call up some karmic debt here.”

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the man himself.…” Kristen half jumped up and waved frantically toward the door of the bar restaurant.

My stomach flip-flopped before I turned around to get another mouthwatering look at the man who haunted my dreams most nights back in my college dorm. My fingers itched for a pencil and my drawing pad currently revived on my childhood desk at home. I wished Remi brought that drink now so I could guzzle a brain freezing quantity and get my head sorted out. Considering I did ask him to help me on my little project, I better get used to love unrequited.

“Yeah, if it isn’t good ole Hunter.”

Kristen slapped me in the boob, making me wince, and I rubbed it before he could come over and see me fondling myself. I rolled my eyes and wondered how twisted the night could go from here. I argued with Hunter hours earlier over sandblasting the wood floors to their original surface in the house and saving the fireplace if possible. Needless to say, we argued over almost every decision in the house.

“Pish… don’t be a brat, Taylor, let’s invite them over.”

When Kristen said “them” I got the balls to peer around her shoulder and wild hair to catch a glimpse of my best guy friend and his new lady friend. Huh, that was new-fangled along with the growing knot in my belly. I didn’t think she looked too happy to be seeing us either and I wondered why she looked so familiar.

“Mmm hmm.” Her name escaped me, but the sly dirty look was something I was used to being Hunter’s female acquaintance since high school.

Luckily, Remi returned super quick with our drinks. Blindly I slipped the straw in my mouth, sucking down. Hunter casually sauntered over with the woman clinging to his arm like a spider monkey at the zoo.

“Ladies, evening.” Hunter nodded politely in our direction, and I gulped my sweet drink down, letting the mix of alcohol and cold burn the back of my throat.

“Hi there, stud, whose the broad hanging on your fishing hook?” Leave it to Kristen to get the details on this girl... right in front of her no less. That’s my bestie for you; always using her powers for evil instead of good, and here I thought we annexed the MBHA of 2002.

“I’m Brittany. Hunter’s date.”

Well, if that wasn’t clear as heck like a summer eclipse. She pursed her red lips and whispered something in Hunter’s ear, making him smile that small little crack that let you know he was definitely banging her. Ugh. Sometimes I hated that I knew him that well, just not in the carnal sense. I watched Hunter brush bottle blond hair off with his arm with a grimace, thinking she was a beautiful sea creature with silky strands like octopus tentacles and probably just as deadly.

“Awkward….” Kristen mumbled under her breath, sipping her drink, giving me the side eye. I knew she was thinking along the lines of: do the drapes match the carpets. That was the last thing I wanted to know right up until she waggled her eyebrows suggestively in Brittany’s direction.

“Stop that.” I elbowed her sharply.

Kristen’s voice carried over to me in a sarcastic sing-song, saying, “I bet they don’t match….” It was disturbing how well I knew her thinking.

Glancing at Hunter, who shifted on his feet almost nervously, I felt sick to my stomach. Did he not want me to see him with this Brittany girl? Oh, the hell with it, we were adults and I’d known for years he would screw anything with a heartbeat. Anything except me, drunk me, prom me, just me in general. The only difference was that he rarely brought a girl over to meet me. Was this the part where he’s moved on because I get to meet the girls? He wasn’t getting my approval or disapproval. After all, I was the perfect Switzerland.

“Hey, why don’t you two join us? Kristen and I were just catching up and getting drinks. We can order appetizers if you like.”

He didn’t mention he was seeing anyone when he drove over to look at the house with me a week ago. I was kind of hurt he didn’t think he could tell me something like this, but here we were almost a week later, and I had to pull out the ‘I’m just the friend’ card.

“Sounds great, come on, Hunt.” Brittany pushed Hunter into the booth before parking her twiggy ass on the seat across from us.

Hunter slid over and sat right in front of me, stretching his legs out under the table. I felt the heat coming off his dark jean clad legs that he rested against my own.

Play it cool. Don’t be a dork.

Sure enough Hunter lounged out his long legs, which touched mine, boxing me in on either side. It was something he had always done with me and it didn’t mean anything a decade later into our friendship. The temptation to be fourteen again and kick him was strong until I looked up from the straw of my drink and saw him with a shit eating grin on his face. Jerk knew what he was doing and with polite company, Kristen excluded, I tried my best to behave. Matching his smile back, I raised my heeled foot and nudged his leg closest to the wall. Getting caught by his date would be a bad move and highly embarrassing for both of us. Besides, this was something Hunter and I di

d just to mess around with each other, date or no date. It was the Code of Besties.

“Taylor. Taylor Jane!”

“Huh?” I looked at Kristen, who plopped the appetizer side of the menu in front of me with an expectant look on my face.

A nasally voice cut through our bestie telepathy. “I already know what I want. The coconut shrimp.” Brittany called over Remi, snapping her bitchy fingertips to order before I said anything.

“No, Brit. Not that one.” Hunter handed her the menu with a look that said pick something else, pronto.

“No!” Kristen yelled, ready to throw her body over mine.