Chapter Nine
Olivia redoubled her dating efforts over the next few days. Her conversation with Sammy reminded her of her self-imposed timeline for finding a boyfriend, and she could use the distraction. It didn’t help that Sammy hadn’t eaten dinner at home since her apology meal. It was stupid, but she couldn’t help but wonder whetherhewas on a date during the nights he was out. Maybe he’d caved and was going out with the ex his mom had set him up with. Or maybe he was going out with someone else. Hell, he could be dating a different girl every day for all she knew.
Ormaybe he was just hooking up, not dating. Sammy was a successful, good-looking bachelor; a hyperactive sex life wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
The thought made her stomach cramp.
“I just think he overreacted,” Olivia said, sweeping blush over her cheeks. “I did nothing wrong. I bought him dinner, for Chrissakes.” She enhanced the blush with a dusting of highlighter. “I mean, fine, I did it as an apology, but still.”
Farrah’s laugh pealed out of the phone. Olivia had her on speakerphone while she got ready for her date, so it wasalmostlike the old days when they pumped each other up before a night out.
Olivia frowned. “What’s so funny?”
“Do know you’ve been talking about Sammy for the past forty-five minutes?”
“I have not.” Olivia finished her makeup and sat on the bed so she could put on her shoes.
“Yes, you have.” Farrah’s amusement came through loud and clear. “Do you thinkmaybeyou still have feelings for him?”
“I have feelings alright,” Olivia muttered. “Homicidal ones.”
The more she thought about it, the more pissed she was about how Sammy had acted in the last half of dinner the other night. What right did he have to give her the silent treatment? She’d tried her best to be civil!
Farrah snickered. “Fine. Maybe he was upset because he’s jealous you’re dating other guys.”
“Please. He’s not jealous. He’s probably out with a girl right now, acting all charming and gentlemanly like he isn’t a...a...” Olivia couldn’t think of the right word, so she settled for a frustrated, “Ugh!”
“Liv.” Farrah sounded like she was suppressing wild laughter. “Areyoujealous?”
“No!” Olivia stared at her phone, horrified. “Why would youthinkthat?”
“Because you sound jealous.”
“Clearly, the distance has warped your brain and you don’t know me as well as you used to,” Olivia declared. “I have to go. I’m meeting Malcolm in half an hour, and who knows what the traffic will be like?”
“Wait. Your date’s name isMalcolm?LikeMalcolm in the Middle?”
Olivia scowled, ruing her decision to call her so-called best friend for a pre-date pep talk. “Goodbye.”
Farrah was laughing too hard to respond, so Olivia hung up and swept out of her room in a huff. Her steps faltered when she saw Sammy in the living room, watching an old Bruce Willis movie on low volume. She’d been so distracted by her date prep and call with Farrah that she hadn’t heard him come home.
He glanced up, then froze. His eyes swept from the top of her head to her toes, taking in the sleek blue dress that hugged her curves and the silver heels that added three inches to her height. It was her favorite first-date outfit; it never failed to make her feel like a million bucks.
Olivia’s skin heated beneath his perusal.
“Hot date?” Sammy drawled. His tone was light, but his gaze was dark.
She clutched her purse, willing herself not to tremble. Her breasts ached and her stomach swooped, but that must be first-date jitters. It had nothing to do with the man sitting less than ten feet away. “As a matter of fact, yes.”
“Not with Stripper Boy, I hope.”
“His name isn’t—” Olivia shook her head. “Never mind. It’s not him. It’s with someone else. He’s in tech. He’s nice. His name is Malcolm.”
Why was she telling him all of this?
Sammy’s mouth curled up. “Malcolm?”
Oh, for Christ’s sake.