"Then how about Friday?" she said.
"Sorry," I said, "I can't."
"You working Friday too?"
"Not exactly," I said.
"Holy crap," she said. "You've got a date."
"Gee, you don't have to sound so surprised about it."
"Am I surprised that someone asked you out? No. But am I surprised you actually said yes? Yeah. Definitely."
I had to laugh. "I'm not that picky."
"Yes you are," she said, "and too damn busy for your own good. So, who's the guy?"
"Well," I said, "remember—"
"Wait," she said. "Don't tell me. Save it for Saturday. I want to see your face when you give me all the juicy details."
"But I'm not seeing you Saturday," I said.
She laughed. "Oh, yes you are. You're not getting off that easy. How about I'll bring the party to you? What time do you leave for work?"
I was working the graveyard shift. "A little after ten," I told her, "but – "
"Perfect," she said. "I'll swing by your house-sitting gig at seven."
"But I'm not supposed to – "
"Yeah, no parties where you're staying, I know. Don't worry," she said. "It'll just be me. Something nice and simple. A girls' night. Sound okay?"
I felt myself smile. "It sounds more than okay. It sounds awesome. Want me to make dinner?"
"Screw that," Erika said. "You're the birthday girl, remember? I'm bringing the thing that's definitelynota party to you."
Chapter 44
When Lawton picked me up on Friday night, I felt strangely self-conscious. I'd dug out my favorite cocktail dress, a short, black strapless number that I'd gotten for a steal at a consignment shop. The dress was obviously expensive, or at least it had been for its original owner, whoever that girl might've been.
The shoes were a different story. They matched the dress only in the sense they were black with a daring level of heel, but they were anything but expensive. I didn't care. And if the look on Lawton's face was any indicator, shoes were the last thing on his mind when I opened the Parkers' front door.
"Wow," he said, a slow grin spreading across his face. "You look –" He sucked in a breath as his gaze ran the length of me. "Wow," he said again. "You look amazing."
"Thanks," I said, my voice a little breathy, both from the look in his eyes and what he was wearing. Until now, I'd only seen him in casual clothes, or – I smiled to think of it – nothing at all.
Sure, I'd seen pictures of him on the Internet, dressed up for a night of clubbing or whatever – but in person, the vision before me was another animal entirely.
He wore black tailored slacks and a V-neck silvery shirt, set off by a sleek black blazer and designer shoes. His hair was as unruly as ever, but it only made his clothes look that much more sexy, like he was dressed for success, but ready for sin.
"You look pretty amazing yourself," I said, giving him a good, long look. "So what's the plan?"
"The plan," he said, pulling me close to whisper in my ear, "is to make it a night to remember."
The whisper turned into a kiss, which for me, turned into thoughts of rushing back to his place for an appetizer of the physical variety. "Are you sure you wanna go out?" I teased, running a hand slowly over his jawline.
I was only half-kidding. At his place, I knew what I'd find. Pure bliss. I wouldn't have to worry about my too-cheap shoes or too-small cubic zirconia earrings. I wouldn’t have to worry that I was too quiet or too loud.
