Unlovely Things (Love By Design 2)

t be mad about yoga, please?” Despite her obvious post-coital glow, it was hard to stay mad at Taylor for anything; even replacing me in college with Carmen for a short stint was easily forgiven, just like going to school in Brooklyn as opposed to staying close to home.

“I’m not mad about yoga.” But I was mad about feeling left out.

Louisa tugged at my hair, probably looking for split ends and washed-out color like a good hair artist. “Did you go to Easton’s last night?” Her hands are untangling knots from my hair and I pull back, attempting to rein in her pushiness.

“No, I did not.” Crossing my arms over my chest I snorted. They looked at me, assessing. “I swear I didn’t. I’m not hungover, geez,” I husked. Even my regular bootie call Evan Rooney blew me off last night. I could have gone out but I elected to stay home and catch up on… painting my toenails. No booze and no man had warmed me in the past week. It was a dry spell I needed to put an end to before I got hormonal, homicidal, or both.

“All right.” Louisa put her hands up, surrendering.

“Nothing like my impending matrimony to turn you in to a masochist.” Shaking her head with a smile, my best friend mocked me.

“Very funny.” I guessed Hunter was doing a little premarital education of Miss Lily-White-Bedroom, because I was surprised she knew what that was. I really was in a shit mood today.

I continued my explanation. “I do, however, plan to be drunk as shit at your wedding, so be prepared for a speech to blow all other speeches away.” Taunting her worked, because they both backed off. She should know I would never embarrass my bestie like that, that’s what the bachelorette party was for.

“Get dressed, come on.” Taylor turned me around, smacking my ass and directing me toward my bedroom while Louisa grabbed clothes from my closet. She made a beeline for my dresser and panty drawer.

“Hey, hands off the goods.” I grabbed the lacey panties she pulled out and made my way to my bathroom to get dressed.

“Seen one, seen ’em all,” she joked behind the door.

I considered barricading myself in, but those two were relentless so it was better I just followed along for the time being.

“Better?” I said, stepping out.

“Yes.” Taylor nodded and led the way out.

“Stop being cranky and let’s go.” Louisa tugged my arm and guided me toward Taylor’s car. She still drove her vintage VW bug I was pretty sure Hunter had fixed up, even though working on cars was the last thing that handy man would enjoy doing. Anytime us girls had a car issue, he grumbled more than Oscar the Grouch. He was more of a hammer-swinging caveman. I’d call him Thor but I didn’t want to give him a complex like Damien, who was my version of Loki.

*****

We drove through town to the job site, parking in the driveway that was filled with trucks and a dumpster for the stuff they pulled out of the house during the renovation. I placed my sunglasses low on my face as the morning sun reflected back into the car, blinding me. The port-a-john folks were dropping off the bathroom facility as we got out of the car looking for the guys.

“Where’s Hunter?” Taylor looked around and placed the basket down. She searched for her beacon of love like a lighthouse. Her eyes scanned the yard on a singular mission. The bitter, jealous devil on my shoulder wanted to make gagging sounds, but I loved my bestie and wouldn’t hurt her feelings with my resistance toward true love. Okay, I might—maybe later—but it would be intentional.

Demon stood on the porch eating a shiny red apple, grinning like a lunatic between juicy bites and letting a drop dribble down his chin to make a dark spot on his way-too-tight T-shirt. I partially hoped he choked on the apple or hoped it was filled with poison because my own mouth watered wanting to lick the droplet of apple juice from his stupid jutting chin. I needed to remind myself I was seeing someone else, even if it was casually, and Demon should not have been affecting me like that. It wasn’t fair because I couldn’t control or stop it and the conflict was that even though I resisted, I wasn’t even trying hard enough. I swore he taunted me on purpose. I wondered how many apple seeds it would take to make enough cyanide to incapacitate him. Probably not enough apple seeds, and too many would kill him.

He must have sensed we were looking for Hunter. “He’s around back but he’s coming as soon as they turn the water off. I’ve got to fix a main line in the plumbing today.” Finishing the apple, he tossed it in a brush pile that would be burned later. He rested his hands on his lean hips over low slung jeans that were like a slap in the face. He was entirely too good looking perusing his princely kingdom from the porch just standing there. I really needed to stop picking up my grandmother’s old romance novels at night. I hated his cockiness and yet… No, I wouldn’t entertain that idea in a million years. I clenched my thighs together, trying to get my arousal under control. Damn him and damn these lace panties Louisa had handed me earlier because I felt drenched standing there, looking like a fool.

“Water’s off.” Hunter shouted from the backyard, startling me, and Taylor went running over to hug-tackle him as he emerged around the corner. Those two were going to breed a bunch of football players immediately following the wedding if they weren’t careful. I knew it.

“You look like hell, Pebbles.” Demon grinned again and my eyes narrowed. “Wild night in or out?” he asked.

“Neither—not that it’s any of your business.”

“It is when Evan Rooney goes poking around my… never mind.” He waved me off but the warning bells clamored. Did he have something to do with Evan not getting back to me? He had no right to get into my business. None whatsoever.

“Be right back, ladies.” He acknowledged Taylor and Louisa before looking me over, smirking so hard I wanted to smack it off his face. Ugh! I hated that he affected me that way.

“Killer.” He nodded in my direction and the stare down began. I guess he’d given me yet another dumb nickname. I watched him walk off to the port-a-john and half-listened to Louisa share an idea for her salon’s marketing. We were going to go over her accounting to see if she had extra funds to spare for it when my reptilian brain of vengeance took over. I should have known my hormones, PMS, whatever excuse I was going with had an iron grip on my sanity that morning.

“Be right back, Lou.” I held my hand up to stop her and followed Demon, watching him as he slipped inside the port-a-john. My mind had a one-track focus. I thought I heard yelling behind me for backup, but I wasn’t aware; I only had eyes for him and what I was going to do once I reached this dirty, no good, son of a….

“Kristen?” I ignored the voice and kept going; I was a woman on a mission as I knocked on the door, pounding my hand so hard it hurt the soft flesh of my palm against the plastic door.

“Just a minute.”

“Demon, did you say something to Evan?” Thinking about the possibility fired me up—if he’d made a comment to Evan and that was why he didn’t call me back last night. Evan Rooney was my long-time itch-scratcher when I wasn’t bouncing off of my dysfunctional non-relationship with Demon. I knew for damn sure he wasn’t in a relationship right now. I heard something close to a muffled curse as I kept up my assault on the port-a-john.