Letting myself into the apartment, I head for the fridge, the freezer, to be exact. There’s a pint of cookie dough ice cream calling my name. I take the container and a spoon, then curl up on the couch. Time to Netflix and chill—even if it is all alone.
Lost in the drama of the movie I’m watching and the ice cream I’m consuming, I don’t hear Hazel when she walks in. Her hand reaches for the ice cream, but I jerk it away before she can reach it.
“Hey!”
“I’m not letting you do this.”
“Do what?” I ask, shoveling another scoop of ice cream into my mouth.
“Eat yourself into oblivion. We’re going out.”
“I can’t afford to go out. Not to mention, I don’t have anything to wear.”
“Tonight is on Rick.” She smiles broadly, pleased with the idea, but I’m not. He’s already done enough for me. I can’t keep taking, not from him… or Hazel. “I was instructed to take you out and show you a good time, and that’s what I intend on doing.”
Taking my hand, she drags me off the couch and into her bedroom. She throws her closet open, finger tapping her chin as she stares.
“I’ve got it.”
“Got what?”
“The perfect dress.” She reaches into the closet and begins fishing around. A moment later, she pops back out, smiling proudly and holding out a gorgeous blue dress.
“You are so going to get laid in this,” she says, dancing happily around her room.
Giving in, I take the dress and head into the bathroom to change.
“Don’t forget to take your underwear off.”
I open the door slightly.
“What? Why?”
“Easy access.”
CHAPTERSIX
Ryder
Sliding my finger across the screen, I answer the call coming through.
“What?” I growl into the phone.
“Jesus, what crawled up your ass?” Mark asks.
Where do I even begin?
“Mr. Royalty is giving me shit and being more difficult than necessary. Thank God I’m off duty this weekend, and he can be someone else’s problem for a minute. Then my damn SUV got a flat, and I had to fix the stupid tire on the side of the highway. Between all that, I missed the call from the lab.”
The last part got me all pissed off. I had been waiting for the call all day. Then I got the flat, and while I was trying to fix it, I left the phone in the car. By the time I was done, I was a dirty, sweaty mess, so I hurried home and took a shower, never checking my phone or messages.
Huge mistake.
During all of that, the lab called. They left a message—one that was less than useful.
“Sorry we missed you. Please call us back to receive your results. The office will close in fifteen minutes, but we will return on Monday at nine in the morning. Have a great weekend.”
Fifteen minutes had long passed, and I missed my last chance this week to find out the truth about Amelia.