A cute guy waved and nodded as he called out, "Hi there."
"Hi." I smiled and turned back to the car as my cheeks warmed. I wasn't shy or a prude, but tucking myself away from the possibility of dating for the last few months had me feeling like a virgin again. Madonna started to play in the recess of my head, and I rolled my eyes at myself as I helped with the groceries.
"Did baggy brown-haired boy have a name?" Emily moved up beside me. "Were there any pleasantries exchanged or did he just spitball the invitation to you and run like hell?"
I chuckled. "You're so dramatic. Are you sure you don't want to look into something like acting? Your science degree will be used against you if you get all exaggerated like you always are."
"Whatever. Did he have a name?" She opened the door as Cindy and Dedra walked in ahead of us.
"Yeah. Cliff, maybe?" I walked into the kitchen and sat my stuff down before nabbing the last cookie on the plate.
"Clint." Dedra glanced over her shoulder as she worked to unpack one of the bags of groceries. "He was cute. Totally your type, Emily."
"Cliff? Where did you get that from?" Emily shook her head at me. "I swear you're losing brain cells, or maybe you writing off guys really is going to work this time."
"She hasn't written off guys." Cindy bent over to pull a large pot from the cabinet beside the stove. "Get this."
I walked over and took it from her. "Want me to put some water in it?"
"Yeah." She stood up and put a pan on the stove, looking at me over her shoulder. "You haven't given up on guys, right?"
"No, but I'm not actively looking, either." I walked toward the sink and started to fill the pot up as I glanced out the large window in front of me. A guy was pressing a girl to the side of my car, laughing and touching her face. "What the..."
"What's up?" Emily glanced up from chopping up lettuce as I walked past them.
I opened the door and moved out to the patio, putting my hand on my hips and clearing my throat. While I wasn't super materialistic, having some dude make out with his girl against the side of my new car was out.
They didn't pay me a bit of attention.
I took a few steps toward the stairs as the guy whispered something against the girl’s hair and turned to glance up at me.
"Oh. Shit. I'm sorry." He backed up and lifted his hands. "This yours?"
"Yes." I lifted an eyebrow at him. He was impossibly hot with his defined abs and tanned skin. His blue eyes moved across my face like he was trying to uncover some hidden secret.
"Brody," the girl called to him, touching his arm. "Do you know her?"
"No. He doesn't." I took another step toward them, waiting at the edge of the stairs. "Perhaps you can find somewhere else to seduce this chick besides the side of my new car."
"Her new car? I thought you said-” the girl started, but he wasn't paying her a bit of attention. He was still watching me.
Stalker. Hot stalker, but still a stalker, nevertheless.
"It's not mine. I lied." He walked to the bottom of the stairs as she made an angry sound and stomped off, cursing him all the way down the road.
"I see you have a way with the ladies." I lifted my eyebrow and held the smile that wanted to lift my lips under tight control. There was no way I was actually getting involved with anyone over the summer, least of all the playboy in front of me. He had several strikes against him, the first being his golden hair.
"Brody. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand.
I glanced down at it and scoffed. "Find someone else's car to covet."
"No introduction, hmm?" He chuckled as I turned and walked back to the door. "You could at least give me your name, seeing that you just ruined my afternoon."
"My bad." I rolled my eyes, wishing I were more disgusted than curious. My stomach tightened with desire, but I ignored it, not wanting to even begin to entertain the thought of conversing with this guy.
"I'll forgive you this once." He glanced over toward the car, giving me a few moments to let my eyes run over him. "I like your wheels. I bet they ride real good."
I stopped at the door and glanced over my shoulder, hating myself for being the cocky brat I fought not to be most of my life.