Him by Carey Heywood (reading strategies book .txt) 📕

A couple of the dresses I refuse to show them. One is just way too low cut in the front, and I feel uncomfortable in it. The other is cute but too tight in the top, and I can't move my arms in it either. When I show them the next outfit, I take out the second dress to see if Sawyer can find it one size up. The fourth outfit I try on is my favorite so far, a stretchy charcoal pencil skirt and a striped tank top. Sawyer starts complaining that she wanted the gray skirt to go with some see-through top and the striped tank to go with a sequined micro mini. I laugh at her because there is no way I'll wear either of those combos.

She grumbles about my lack of fashion sense and stalks off in search of that dress in a larger size.

"I like what you're wearing." Jared smiles up at me.

"Apparently, I'm not showing enough skin."

He shakes his head. "Let her pick out crazy shoes for you, and she'll be fine."

I laugh. He’s right, and he knows it. It makes me wonder how many times Sawyer has dragged him out shopping over the years. When she comes back, I take his advice and end up with the outfit I like and a pair of hot pink cowboy boots. We pick up dinner on the way home and hang out around the coffee table to eat. Caleb joins us a few minutes later, squeezing in between Sawyer and me on the couch.

"What'd the doctor say?" Jared asks.

"Might be able to get the cast off a week early."

Sawyer makes a face. "Bummer they couldn’t take it off today."

Caleb laughs and pulls her towards him for a kiss. "You can barely handle me one handed."

Her mouth drops, and she smacks his stomach. "You're lucky you’re cute."

"Just cute?" he asks in mock horror.

She rolls her eyes and eats a French fry.

After dinner, we get ready in Caleb's room and bathroom while Jared and Caleb watch TV. Sawyer flat irons her hair, and I curl mine. I let her do my makeup and mentally remind myself to wash my face before I go to bed today so I don’t end up looking like a raccoon in the morning. Sawyer ended up buying the silver sequined mini and paired it with a black tank and boots. We do a couple of shots with Caleb before putting on our coats and heading out. There’s a coat check at the club so we don’t have to worry about finding a place to stash our winter coats.

Sawyer pulls me right out onto the dance floor, Jared and Caleb following us. Sawyer and Caleb basically make out the whole time while Jared and I dance. He’s a good dancer, and the music is so loud there we can’t really talk. He stands behind me, hands on my hips, my back to his chest. He doesn’t try and feel me up, and since he’s there, no one else tries to dance with me. I like him. I do, just as a friend. After a few songs, we stop to all get drinks and cool off. When we’re standing at the bar, a guy asks me if I want to dance. Jared stops him and says I’m with him.

After that guy leaves, I ask him about it.

"Sorry. That guy's a tool, but there are some cool guys here if you want me to introduce you to any of them."

I smile. "No, that's okay. I was just curious."

"You're a nice girl, Sarah."

"Thanks. Where'd that come from?"

"I love Sawyer, but she's crazy. I didn’t know what to expect from you."

"I can be a little crazy," I joke and take a sip of my drink.

"Nah, you're a cool chick. Seeing you all excited after your meetings was cool."

I blush. I was practically jumping up and down after my first meeting.

"Sawyer needs a friend like you." He looks over at her making out with Caleb. "Someone with common sense."

"I don’t know if I have—"

He cuts me off. "You do. Trust me."

We finish our drinks and dance some more. After that, Jared introduces me to some people he knows. We all end up leaving the club and going over to one of their houses. It's a beautiful craftsman-style home. It's too dark out to tell, but I have a feeling it has some sweet mountain views. Everyone is hanging out in the finished basement. Someone breaks out a joint, and it’s passed around the room. I decline, and Jared grins at me, surprising me by also passing. I kinda figured he was a pothead.

"You don’t smoke?"

He shakes his head. "Makes me lazy."

I laugh. I've only gotten high a couple of times. "I get hungry and paranoid. Not fun."

"Want to play pool?"

He racks the balls, and I break. .We both laugh at how little the balls move. Jared sets them back up and makes me go again. This try is better. A couple of balls go in, and I call solids.

~*~

The next morning, I cringe when I look in the mirror. Yep. Forgot to wash my face last night, or more accurately, this morning when we got home from the party. We were all so tired I didn’t even wait for Jared to fold out the bed, just crashed on the sofa instead. I normally wait for Jared to get up before I use his bathroom, but I really have to go. It feels weird walking past him as he sleeps. I jump when I hear him knock on the door. I dry my face and open the door.

"Hey, can I?" Jared motions into the bathroom.

"Of course." I move past him and back into the living room.

I'm making a pot of coffee when he comes out of his room. I laugh at how bleary-eyed he looks, and he shrugs. It's funny