Testing Recipes for Disaster (Emberwood #2)

Chapter 27- Lauren

H ad I expected Jer to ambush me and make me talk about what was going on between us after last night? Yes. I had gotten away with brushing him off before, but last night was...something else. Had I expected him to call me and ask me out on a date with zero discussion about the fact that we’re apparently going on dates now? No.

I thought Sam was going to have a coronary while I was on the phone. As soon as I said the word date , she was practically on top of me so she could hear him talk. I made her keep her thoughts to herself and shooed her out the door to the appointment with her wedding caterer. Obviously, I commenced a pop-playlist-fueled-cleaning-frenzy rather than be left alone with my thoughts.

But then his text arrived, and damn it if all the thoughts didn’t come rushing in. Heat spread through my entire body by the end of our back and forth, and I found myself sitting at my island, staring into space. My mind drifted to weeks ago when I asked him if anything had changed on his end, and the memory of his no sat on its haunches, ready to pounce.

You stay there , I demanded.

It was possible something had changed between then and now. His vibe today did not convey that he was taking me out to tell me he wasn’t interested.

Quite the opposite .

I re-entered my body and glanced at the clock.

Shit .

I had a whole thirty minutes before he was picking me up. Happily, my hair looked fucking amazing when I took it out of last night’s braids, so I only had to get dressed and do some sort of makeup.

I put on a white pleated skirt with embroidered daisies and a lime green tank top. A pair of knee-high socks, my white sneakers, and a denim jacket finished my outfit, and I put on the largest white plastic hoop earrings in existence. The whole ensemble felt happy and loud, and it matched my mood perfectly. I was finishing off my eyeshadow with glitter when he knocked, and my stomach flipped. I felt ridiculous like I didn’t even know what a date was anymore.

I swung the door open to the most colorful bouquet I could have imagined. My eyes widened, and that feeling in my stomach turned from butterflies into squirrels at a rave.

“These are beautiful .”

“I thought they matched your house.”

The earnest expression on his face as he stepped across the threshold made me want to melt.

“Let me put them in water and get my bag.”

I motioned for him to follow me.

“Motivation still hasn’t struck, huh?” he asked, nodding towards the half-finished wall.

“No. But rude to bring it up.”

He chuckled and waited patiently. He had worn the exact outfit I suggested, and it inspired thoughts that were inappropriate for the drive-in.

“I have to get the twelve-foot ladder from my dad, and it’s a whole thing, and now I don’t have a car to go get more paint. So, it’s your fault for taking so long to fix my fuel thingy.”

“I am sorry that I do not have a 24-hour turnaround time for fixing your fuel pump , Princess. The part will be here Saturday. I put a rush on it.”

He raised his brows at me in a challenge.

“Well. Now you make me feel bad. Thank you for fixing it. I mean it.”

“And I mean it when I say it’s not a big deal. Well, it is a big deal that you’d been ignoring your car’s desperate cries for help, but, you know, everything else is fine.” He shot me a grin.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face if I tried. I walked past him, flowers sorted and my purse on my shoulder, when he wrapped his fingers around my wrist and tugged me toward him. His cologne immediately enveloped me, and I was forced to look up into his melted-caramel eyes, my breath stuttering.

“Yeah?” I nearly whispered.

He leaned down so his lips brushed my ear, and goosebumps erupted down my arms.

“You look fucking gorgeous.”

His hands grazed my lower back, making me shiver. He cradled the back of my head in his giant hand and tilted my face up even further. His mouth ghosted over my lips. I tried to stand on my toes to close the distance, and he pulled back slightly, clearly teasing me.

“Are you waiting for permission? Because you can have it.”

My heart rate was now at a dangerous level, I was certain. He let out a laugh I felt in my chest before he finally gave me what I wanted. His lips were soft against mine, and I melted into him. He trailed open-mouthed kisses down my neck and let out something between a growl and a groan when he got to my shoulder.

“We should go if we want to get pitas and make the movie on time,” he said, sighing.

“Right. Movie. Got it.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, and we headed out of the house. My inner teenager was having a conniption that I was going out with Jeremy Ash. My brother had ensured I was off limits to any of his friends for most of high school, which was difficult because he was friends with everyone back then. But that had never stopped me from admiring Jer from afar. He was cute then. He was beautiful now. So, present-Lauren was getting the better end of the deal.