Page 26 of Hot Mess
“It’s not a no, either,” Amber insisted.
“Gave you the slip how?” Dylan asked.
I tossed him a cold look, daring him to laugh. “Fake phone number.”
He didn’t laugh.
“Maybe she was shy,” Amber said. “Or just getting out of a relationship. Or… I don’t know… intimidated by your… you know.” She made a sweeping gesture to indicate me.
“My what?” I said.
“You know. Your rock star status. And your offensive tattoos. And… this.” She made a little circle with her finger in front of my face.
“What’s wrong with my face?”
“Nothing,” she said. “That’s what I mean.” She looked to Dylan for help. “Are you with me on this?”
“Nope,” Dylan said. “Changed my mind. I don’t like this girl. She hurt Ash.”
I kinda rolled my eyes as I took a slug of beer. “Present company absolved,” I mumbled.
He frowned at me.
“But it kinda feels like destiny, doesn’t it?” Amber pressed, trying like hell to get Dylan on board. “He met her at one of his breakup parties, and he got her name tattooed on his thigh, and now he’s run into her again, out of the blue, andagainat a breakup party? Kinda feels like fate.”
“Ash has had a lot of breakup parties,” Dylan informed her.
“Maybe he has. But still. You think it’s just a coincidence?” Amber nudged me. “Maybe the universe is telling you to find her, Ashley.”
“Or maybe,” Dylan said, “her ditching him twice means the universe is telling him to leave her alone.”
“Maybe,” I said.
“What do you think?” he asked me.
“I think she’s gorgeous,” I said. “And wants nothing to do with me.”
“I wanted nothing to do with you when I first met you,” Amber said. I met her pale-green eyes, and she smiled softly. “But I waswrong. Maybe she’s wrong, too.”
Chapter Four
Ash
Iwoke up pretty early the next morning. Not by choice.
These days, if I could help it, I never woke up early.
I was still on Dylan’s couch, which now probably had a permanent imprint of my ass, to find Anthrax’s “Got the Time” slamming in my face and people bustling around me.
Someone had put a speaker right next to the couch and aimed it at my head.
“Rise and shine!” Amber shouted over the incredibly loud music when I started to sit up. “Coffee?”
Dylan jumped on the couch and started playing air drums on my head and shoulders with the remote controls. I swatted at him and he jumped back down.
Fuck, why was he so chipper?
Then it hit me.
