Semua Bab Asking for a Friend: Bab 61 - Bab 70

MARISSAAfter Layton stormed out of his office, I stood there gaping in the doorway. I knew I had screwed things up between us, but I hadn’t expected him to be quite such an asshole about it. On second thought, I really should have seen it coming.Sucking in a deep breath, I tried to come up with a different plan. The office was still quiet and it would be a little while before anyone came in and found me standing like an idiot half in and half out of Layton’s office.I was surprised by how much his cool, dismissive attitude hurt me. When I saw him last week, he was just as cold. I guessed I thought he might have thawed out over the weekend, for some reason. I had hoped he would, given that our first conversation after I’d told him we were done was over and the ice was broken.Sadly, I had let myself believe that the first time would be the worst and that it could only get better from there. It looked like I was wrong. Clenching my fists, I bit back a flood of anger.Yes, I had screwe

LAYTONAlem Seafood was an interesting choice for someone who supposedly wanted to talk. It was well-known enough, with reasonably priced, good food. Plastic table cloths covered white plastic tables yellowing with age.The multicolored tablecloths got replaced often enough and were practical given the amount of butter, garlic and other drips that came off the food. They were either green or red and white checkered, giving the place a real old-timey feel.It was almost always packed with locals, which made it an odd choice to pick for any kind of serious talking to take place. Alem was loud and lively, almost always having a live band playing into the night.If it was an intimate discussion you were after, you weren’t going to have it easily at Alem. But perhaps that was the point. Marissa was bubbly and boisterous and fun, just like the restaurant she chose.I wondered if she was more comfortable at this neighborhood favorite because it was more suited to her personality than the pla

MARISSAElectricity sparked in the air between us as Layton and I stepped onto the elevator. My heart was pounding, my entire body on high alert for his nearness. We turned to face the doors when they closed, our hands brushing each other in the process.A tingle went through at the brief touch of his skin against mine. I looked up at him, curious to know if he’d felt it too. For whatever else had happened between us, we’d never lacked chemistry.Layton had warmed up to me again throughout dinner and given where we started, I was surprised the evening was ending with both of us at his place and not at odds anymore. I wanted to know if Layton still felt the chemistry too, or if it was just me catapulted back to a couple of weeks ago.He looked down at me in the same moment, and when our eyes met, I knew I wasn’t alone in this. The next thing I knew, his lips were on mine and his arms were around me, caging me against the back of the elevator car.His lips were as hungry and insistent a

LAYTONFeeling lighter and happier than I had in weeks, I pushed through the doors of a new coffee shop down the block from my office. The place smelled bitter and sweet, coffee and pastries everywhere. Taking a deep breath of what promised to be worth the wait in the line I was about to join, I made my way to the back of the snake of people curling around the few tables in the shop.Everyone around me was raving about their picks, and despite the time this was going to take, I was glad I decided to make the stop. Marissa would be glad too.Just the thought of her made a grin spread across my lips. For the past four days since we’d made up, we’d been spending whatever time we could spare together. It wasn’t much, since Marissa headed straight home to Annie every day after work, but we’d carved out a little time to spend together each day so far.When we hooked up before, I wasn’t sure where I stood with Marissa and I hadn’t thought too much about it. I only knew that I liked her and w

MARISSAEarly the morning after Layton told me he wanted to meet Annie, I was still stressed about the answer—I hadn’t decided yet. He was right about one thing. If there was a future for us and we really wanted to see where things between us went, he would have to meet Annie at some point.Chewing on my lip, I wondered if it was too soon for her to meet him. A part of me thought it was, but another part of me wanted the meeting to take place.Annie was always going to be a part of my life. Layton might not be, but if he was serious about wanting to be part of my life for now, then I needed to know if he got along with Annie. I wouldn’t be able to make any decisions about him, and about what I wanted for us until I knew how that would go.A relationship where those two didn’t get along wasn’t a relationship I would be able to be in. Surely it was better to find out sooner rather than later. I already felt like I was in a bit too deep with Layton, without knowing whether he would even