Page 112 of Bridesmaid Undercover
“Do you know what my sister told me before I came here?”
“What?” he asks.
“She said that he was walking around my brother-in-law’s office, boasting about the date he went on and how he was too good for me.”
“The fuck he did,” Hardy says, setting his menu down. “He fucking said that?”
“Yeah. Luckily, my brother-in-law told the office gossip the truth and it spread like wildfire.”
“Good. Man, that guy, the audacity.”
“I know. And I had a dream about him the other night.”
“Why the fuck would you do that?” Hardy asks, making me chuckle.
I turn toward him. “Trust me, I didn’t want to dream about him, but he had a cameo. He was in my apartment when I came home, sitting at my table, gnawing on his cat’s paws.”
“Oh fuck.” Hardy shivers. “That’s called a nightmare.”
“I know. It was traumatizing. When I woke up, I was nervous that I’d turn to the side and find him there, at my table.”
“If that happened, I’m pretty sure I would have heard your scream all the way in my apartment.”
“Easily,” I say with a smile. I pick up my menu and then look up at Timothy and Maple, who are staring at the both of us. “Oh, sorry about that,” I say. “Just some guy I went on a horrible date with.”
“Is that why you called me Tomothy while bowling?” Timothy asked.
Hardy snorts next to me, and I elbow him.
When eyes fall on him, he apologizes. “Sorry, but she was terrified that she’d called you Tomothy and, well, I’m so happy to hear the confirmation.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling my face go red from embarrassment. “Clearly, you are nothing like Tomothy. I was just…I was nervous and I think worried and?—”
“Everly, it’s fine.” Timothy smiles. “I thought it was funny.”
If he met Tomothy, he probably wouldn’t think it was that funny.
“Glad you have a sense of humor,” I say. “Because I was horrified.”
“Timothy should be horrified that you called him Tomothy,” Hardy says. “No one wants to be compared to that man.” That’s exactly what I just thought.
“Have you met him?” Maple asks Hardy.
Hardy shakes his head. “No, just heard horror stories about him.”
“Stories we don’t need to get into at the moment,” I say.
“Hmm, funny,” Hardy says turning back to his menu.
“What’s funny?” I ask.
“Well, you can talk to Maple about my flatulence, but I can’t talk to Timothy about Tomothy, the cat foot gnawer.”
“Ah, I see,” I say. “Reason being because I’m trying to make a good impression with someone I’m just meeting, whereas Maple already knows your flaws.”
“How is that fair?” he asks.
“It’s not.” I smile at him.
