Page 113 of The Recovery Coach
Chapter 37
Hazy
Inhindsight,proposingtoLivy before he’d even talked to her had been a horrible idea.He considered himself lucky she gave him a chance to do things correctly.
For their first date he reserved a dinner table at his go-to fancy dinner spot.The day-of he gave her space to get ready.Two hours beforehand, Livy texted him from the other room.
Livy
SOS
She once again stood half-naked, staring into her closet.He shamelessly ogled her, taking his time to appreciate every soft curve he’d overlooked for so long.
She snapped her fingers next to her face and said, “Hey!Eyes up here.”Her tone was serious, but her lips twitched, betraying her playfulness.
He let a lazy grin overtake his face.“What’s up?”
“I have a date, and I don’t know what to wear.”
Hazy sauntered over to her closet and stood behind her, reaching over her shoulder to grab the orange floral dress he’d bought her.
“This one will drive your date crazy,” he said, playing along with her game.
“It’s so short.”
“Exactly.”
“It’s like thirty degrees outside.I’m going to freeze my tits off if I wear this.”
Hazy tutted.“Can’t have that.Go put it on, and I’ll see what we can do to keep you a little warmer.”
She did as he said, and he picked out tights, shoes, and a cardigan for her to layer with the dress.
Livy put her clothes on and sat at her desk.She painted on mascara, blush, and lip balm.When she reached for the eyeliner, he stole it out of her reach.
“Your date will appreciate your face the way it is now.”
She held her hand out for the product, which he happily handed over.He would tell her his preference, but she could decide whether she catered to it.
“I like my face better with a little liner,” she said, stuffing the tube into her makeup bag.“But I do want to make a good first impression.If you think this is what he wants, I’ll trust you.”
Hazy ran a brush through her hair while the curling iron came up to temperature.As he put loose waves in her hair, she said, “I have an idea.”
“What’s your idea?”
“Home could be a boundary.At least at first.Here we can be Livy and Connor, best friends.But out there, on our dates, we can be Olivia and Hazy.”
“I like it.Let’s do it.”
“Really?”
“Sure.Connor and Livy are my favorites.But Olivia and Hazy can explore their dynamic as partners.It’s a good idea.”
“That means no funny business at home.”
Hazy snorted.“Connor and Livy are nothing but funny business.”
“I’m being serious, Connor.”
