The Accidental Girlfriend

Abort. Abort. Abort.

I opened my mouth to say something—anything! Fucking anything!—but I was saved because the door opened again, and Pru burst in.

“Shots for everyone!”

***

Tequila is never a good idea.

That was why I felt like a giggling little girl. I rarely drank hard liquor, so when I did, it hit me hard.

I’d had three shots.

Three. Shots.

And here Mason was, laughing as I unlocked my apartment door.

“Shut up,” I muttered, pushing it open. “Pru is a liability.”

“Yes,” he said slowly. “But the good news, you totally bonded with my mom over tequila shots and bitching about my ex.”

“The way all good fake girlfriends should bond with their fake future mother-in-law. Don’t you know anything?” I waved him in. “If I drink coffee now, will I be awake all night?”

“I don’t know. Are you a person who needs caffeine to function on a morning?”

“Water it is.” I tossed my keys and clutch onto the island and headed for the fridge. “You want one?”

He hesitated.

“I’m not so drunk I’m going to try to jump your bones, don’t worry.” I pulled out two bottles and pushed one across the island to him.

Well, I tried.

It fell over and mostly…rolled.

“I think that bottle needs to lay off the liquor,” I whispered loudly.

Mason laughed and shut the front door. “I think I need to make sure you don’t do that on the way to bed.”

“Pish. I’m not that drunk. I’m just a little on the tip-side of tipsy.”

He took the water with a smirk. “I tried to warn you about my family.”

“I tried to say no,” I reminded him. “You’re the one who talked me into this nonsense.”

“Ah, but you had such fun.”

I stared flatly at him. “Don’t push it.”

“There’s the Lauren I know. Am I getting fed to your white tigers now?”

“You might have too much muscle on you. They might prefer Dr. Evil over a cut-price Thor.”

“A cut-price Thor. You wound me.”

“Not as much as my tigers will.”

“You’re pretty confident in your ability to take over the world for a girl who’s the worse side of tipsy after three tequila shots.”

I pulled a stool under me and sat back, almost missing it before I quickly righted myself. “Look, mister. The best plans are made while under the influence.”

“Didn’t you put your ad online while drunk?”

“I think you should go now.”

He burst out laughing, a sound that warmed my belly in ways it shouldn’t have.

No. Bad Lauren. I had no business crushing on this man. That was my boundary, the line that’d been drawn between us.

No intimacy.

No real feelings.

No relationships.

Neither of us wanted that. I needed to remind myself of those things.

Mason Jackson wasn’t the kind of itch you scratched only once; he was the itch that kept coming back in the place you couldn’t reach.

The last thing I needed was for that itch to embed itself into my heart.

Wow. The tequila really was doing a number on me.

I turned and opened the drawer, pulling out the bottle of aspirin. I tapped out two pills and tossed them back, swallowing them down with the water.

That was how I knew I wasn’t totally drunk. I’d thank myself for this tomorrow.

“You’ve gone quiet. Are you thinking?”

I looked back at Mason. “Sorry. I thought I’d won that one.”

He smirked. “You wish.”

“Did you reply?”

“If you didn’t hear me, I’m not saying it again.” He shrugged a shoulder.

“So no,” I said simply. “And yes, I thought I’d thank myself for that aspirin tomorrow.”

“Your mind must be a wonderful place.”

“You have no idea.” I grinned. “So, what are the plans for Saturday?”

Mason’s eyebrows shot up. “You still want to go?”

“I don’t think I have a choice, but it’s nice of you to offer one anyway.”

“The party starts at eight. They’re old, you know.”

“Right. I think I can manage that. Weekend off and all that.”

“I forgot.” He paused. “You sure you’re good to walk yourself down that hall?”

I gave him a withering look. “Yes. I can manage, thank you, Prince Charming.”

He held his hands up. “Just checking.”

“Your chivalry is noted and appreciated. You’ll do well as the head of my knights.”

“Now I’m the head of your knights?”

“I’m still figuring it out. How are you with swinging long, deadly weapons around?”

Mason said nothing. His tongue darted out and wet his bottom lip, but there was a flash of laughter in his eyes.

“Um.” My cheeks burned. “I didn’t mean—I meant a sword. Maybe a lightsaber if I can convince Yoda to share the force.”

Still silence.

“Yep, you really should go now.” I got up and practically ran to the door.

Mason turned and left his half-finished water on the island. His strides to me were long and purposeful, and he stopped when he was in the doorway. Spinning to me, he said, “I don’t think Yoda controls the force, but I’m not really up on Star Wars.”

“Me either.” My mouth was dry.