Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Keeping my nail trapped between my teeth, I nodded several more times.
“Now. Let’s find something in my closet that might fit you.”
“My knees have to be covered, and I can’t show cleavage.”
Olivia blinked several times. “Oh sweetie, this year is going to be life-changing for you.” Pity dripped from her words.
What could I say? Nothing. So I smiled, excited and fearful of the life changes headed my way.
“I don’t dress like Holly Hobbie,” I snorted as her previous comment finally registered.
“Okay, maybe not the bonnet,” Olivia said. “But the long dresses and brown shoes are a match. All you need is a pair of bloomers.”
As much as I wanted to feign offense, I couldn’t stop giggling because at home, I had at least four Holly Hobbie dolls in a box on the top shelf of my closet.
Two hard knocks vibrated our door. Olivia opened it.
“Ready?” Ben asked.
“No. Sorry.” She rested a hand on his chest. “I got distracted by Gabby’s big news. Let me run down and use the bathroom and fix my makeup.” Olivia grabbed her bag and headed down the hallway.
Ben stepped into the room and closed the door. “What news?”
At the same time, I asked, “Where are you two going?”
“Subway for dinner,” he mumbled, sitting in Olivia’s desk chair as I snatched my box of Wheat Thins. “Wanna come?”
“On your date? No thank you.” I popped a cracker into my mouth.
“It’s dinner, not a date. But I suppose you still don’t know the difference.”
I stuck my tongue out at his little jab.
“What’s your big news?”
“It’s about Matt, so I don’t think you want to hear it.”
He perked up. “Matt, huh? Haven’t heard his name in weeks. Do tell.”
“He’s having a party at his house tomorrow night, and he invited me.” I fished out another cracker. “He invited you and Olivia too.”
“No thanks.”
“Olivia said you two would go, then stay if I need you or leave early if I’m good.”
Ben chuckled, lacing his fingers behind his head, which made his shirt creep up just far enough that I could see his abs. I tried not to look at them because it made me think about him and Olivia doing things that involved numbers.
“For your information,” he said, “Olivia doesn’t speak for me. She’s not my girlfriend or my secretary.”
“Well, I’m still your best friend, so you’ll go for me.”
“You haven’t asked me to go.” He smirked.
“Will you go?” I mumbled while chewing my cracker.
“I have no interest in watching you fawn over Fumble Fingers.”
“Don’t!” I snorted and cracker crumbs flew from my mouth onto his lap.
Ben frowned, wiping them from his jeans. “Thanks for that.”
I covered my mouth and finished chewing. “Sorry.” I swallowed. “But you can’t call him that. I don’t want it coming out that I told you. It’s bad enough that he knows I know.”
“What do you mean?”
I shrugged. “I may have let it slip that I knew about the prom night incident.”
“Gabbs, how do you let that slip? This fantasy of yours is over. He’s never going to be anything more than a family friend now that he knows you heard about the most embarrassing moment of his life.” He leaned forward and plucked the box of crackers from my hand.
“How is that the most embarrassing moment of his life?”
“Oh, Gabriella,” Ben slowly shook his head while shoving his big hand into the cracker box, “you have so much to learn. The pinnacle of manhood is sex. A fumbled attempt is about as gut-wrenching as running over the family dog.”
That was ridiculous.
“I’m sure he’s recovered just fine,” I said. “If he has a girlfriend, he must have figured it all out.”
“Maybe he revirginized and is saving himself for marriage.” Ben dumped the last of the cracker crumbs into his mouth.
“You think?” I straightened my back with a jolt of hope.
Ben fisted his hand at his mouth and shook in silent laughter. “No, Gabby. I’m just kidding.”
“You’re mean.”
“Honest.”
“Well, you’re going with me tomorrow. Olivia’s not asking. I’m asking. And you can’t say no to me.”
Ben got a funny expression on his face. I hadn’t seen it before, so I couldn’t decipher it. But after a few seconds, he nodded and muttered a soft, “Yeah.”
“Okay. Let’s go,” Olivia said, bursting through the door and tossing her makeup bag onto her bed. An overwhelming perfume scent filled the room, and I coughed.
“Is your roommate in or out tonight?” she asked Ben as he stood.
“Out. Why?”
Olivia batted her mascara-laden eyelashes. “Since Gabby’s doing homework, I thought we could go up to your room after dinner.”
Ben looked at me, and again he had that weird look on his face.
I fiddled with my sleeves, not comfortable knowing that my roommate planned on doing dirty things with my best friend, and they were all but saying as much with me hearing everything.