Not Pretending Anymore by Ward, Penelope (big ebook reader .TXT) 📕

“Alright. But I’m telling you…it would work.”

“Goodbye, Declan.”

“Later, Mollz.”

CHAPTER 4

Molly

As the evening wore on, Will and Daisy continued to reminisce about Northwestern, and I wanted to vomit.

“Did you ever get to paint the rock?” she asked.

“Yeah, actually, my fraternity brothers and I did one night. We painted it pink for breast cancer awareness because of my buddy’s mother. We stayed up all night guarding it.”

“That’s so sweet,” she gushed.

I cleared my throat. “What’s the rock?”

Will smiled. “It’s a Northwestern tradition. It dates back to the forties or fifties, I believe. There’s this giant rock in the center of campus. Students paint it to advertise causes or post info on events. Then they have to guard it for as long as they can to keep someone else from painting over it.”

“Ah. Very cool.” I slurped the last of my drink.

Daisy continued to twirl her hair and flirt with Will.

I couldn’t take it anymore, so I got up. “Excuse me,” I said before walking to the bathroom. Once inside, I looked at myself in the mirror, feeling defeated.

It felt like I was close to losing my only chance. There was a very short window for nabbing a guy like Will Daniels. He was a magnet for all single women around him. But I’d be damned if I was going to lose him to the newbie physician’s assistant. I’d put in my time—time spent flirting and obsessing over this man. Maybe I would lose, but it wasn’t going to be to someone who’d been here a matter of minutes and hadn’t earned her stripes.

I thought about Declan’s suggestion. The small amount of alcohol I’d consumed was already getting to me, and I concluded that desperate times called for desperate measures. Reaching under my blouse, I unsnapped my bra and pulled it out. Then I stuffed it into my purse. The cold air in the bathroom immediately made my nipples perk up. It was too soon to flaunt them, so I turned on the hand dryer, applying heat to my chest.

This would be a miracle if it worked. Daisy had Will so enraptured in nostalgia, I wasn’t sure anything could snap him out of it. I positioned my hair over my breasts so that my braless state wasn’t so obvious yet.

When I ventured back out to the bar, more people from work had shown up. Will was now mingling with some of our other co-workers, with Daisy still glued to his side as she laughed at everything he said.

Burning with jealousy, I asked, “Is it just me or is it hot in here?”

It seemed my theatrical presentation had begun. I raised my hand to call the bartender and ordered a water. After sipping, I set it in front of me and waited for the perfect moment to go in for the kill.

Daisy excused herself and walked toward the bathroom. A minute later, I slid my arm in front of the glass and knocked it over my chest, pretending of course that it was an unfortunate accident.

Feigning shock, I said, “Oh no. I’m such a klutz!”

I looked down at myself. Jesus. The thin silk of my shirt was much more susceptible to the water than I’d anticipated. My first inclination was to be mortified—mostly at my own behavior.

Until…

Until Will’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as they wandered down my chest.

He rushed over and handed me a napkin. “Here you go, Molly.”

“Thank you,” I said, wiping myself down in sloppy strokes, because of course my intent wasn’t to actually do the job appropriately.

After Will stole one more peek, his eyes lifted and lingered on mine.

“It’s nice to see you out again with us. The past couple of times you’ve skipped.” He smiled.

Slowing the strokes over my chest, I said, “I’m surprised you were keeping track.”

“I’m always aware when you’re around—at work or otherwise.”

Holy shit. Is it really this easy? Declan is a freaking genius!

By the time Daisy returned from the bathroom, Will and I were already immersed in conversation. He spent the next half hour at my side. Then I remembered one of Declan’s earlier pieces of advice.

“The more disinterested you seem, the harder his dick will get.”

It was a risk, and it felt completely unnatural to push myself away when I had finally hooked him, but I said, “Excuse me.”

“Of course,” Will said, seeming caught off guard by my stopping the conversation.

I then proceeded to fetch myself another drink and mingle with some of my other co-workers. Daisy moved in on Will again, but oddly, I kept noticing his eyes veering in my direction. Okay, maybe it was the fact that my nipples were still protruding, but nevertheless, his attention begged to be on me, not on Daisy.

In another bold move, I downed the last of my drink. Then, loud enough for Will to hear, I announced, “Well, it’s been nice, peeps, but I have to leave.”

Will suddenly put his beer down, seeming disappointed. “Going so soon, Molly?”

“Yes. I have…plans.”

“A date?”

I paused. “Something like that.”

“Okay.” He nodded. Then he looked at me for a moment before leaning in to my ear. “Listen, I’d love to have coffee sometime. Maybe the next time our shifts collide?”

I acted cool. “Sure…maybe.”

Maybe?

As if.

Heck yeah!

“Good. Okay. Have a good night, Molly.”

“You, too,” I said before strutting out of there, feeling on top of the freaking world.

***

I couldn’t wait to get home and tell Declan his little plan had actually worked.

To my surprise, when I opened the door to my apartment, Declan was in the living room, but he wasn’t alone. A gorgeous woman with bright auburn hair was sitting on the armchair across from him. There were white papers splattered atop the coffee table.

Declan stood. “Oh, hey, roomie. I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”

“Well, I wasn’t planning to be home so early, but I took your advice tonight.”

Declan looked down at my still-braless chest. “I can see that.”

“Not just that. Although, it did work like a charm.”