Read Online Private Politics (The Easy Part) by Emma Barry - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Emma Barry
Ads: Link
of being a good guy. As he stood in the movie theater and decided, yes, he was definitely going to kiss Molly goodbye, he turned and looked right into Alyse Philips’s eyes.
His first impulse was to say her name, sharp and surprised.
This, he did.
His next impulse was to laugh because the situation was hilariously, frustratingly funny.
This, he resisted.
Had Alyse been there the whole time? Had she seen the cuddling? What was she thinking?
After a moment’s deliberation, she walked down the aisle toward them, her mouth set in a tight smile like a hostile witness at a heated committee hearing. That likely meant all three of them didn’t want to have this conversation, though they weren’t going to let that stop them.
If she was stewing about the YWR situation, it hadn’t affected her appearance. Only her face showed the stress and then only to someone who knew its expressiveness as well as he did. He glanced down at Molly and her eyes were wide, taking it all in. And this was the casual weekend version.
“Alyse, this is Molly Mason. Molly, Alyse Philips.” Neither seemed totally happy with the situation as they shook hands in a limpid flounce. Not that Molly had anything to worry about—she looked great and noticeably low maintenance.
“Alyse is Parker’s fiancée’s roommate,” he said by way of explanation.
“And Molly is?” Alyse crossed her arms over her chest and tossed her hair.
He looked down into Molly’s face, upturned to his. They hadn’t decided how to handle this yet. It wasn’t like they were in a relationship; they were on their first date. He hadn’t intended to introduce her to his friends for a long time, if they got that far. He didn’t care that they’d met online—most of his life was conducted virtually—but he knew that some people might not want that fact broadcast.
“Uh,” he said, trying to buy some time, hoping that she would step in and save him.
“We met on Friday,” she said with a smile, turning back to Alyse. “We got together for coffee and then decided to catch a movie.” He sighed in relief that she’d handled it as well as she had.
Alyse relaxed one hand down to her sides. “Me too. Spontaneous movie, I mean.”
“Millie isn’t with you?” he asked. She’d been here by herself?
“No, she and Parker went to Maud’s early to help cook dinner.” He and Alyse had both been dragooned into the weekly Beckett family meal on occasion.
This was followed by an incredibly awkward silence.
He said, “Ah,” in case Alyse was waiting for him to acknowledge what she’d said, but no, that didn’t encourage her to continue. Not that she needed to, she’d answered his question.
“What...are the odds?” Alyse asked finally, when no one moved to fill the space between them all.
She had said almost exactly the same thing when they’d run into Ryan Scott on Friday. Not sure if she’d picked up on it, he repeated his line, “In this town, pretty darn good.”
At this, she smiled one of those broad, full smiles that hit him in every cell of his body at once. She turned the lights on inside him. Every time, it was a double punch to the gut, first because of her and then because of the statute of limitations on every positive feeling he had in her presence. How many seconds could he afford to delude himself this time? He sighed.
Just as quickly, he realized what he had done and tried to cover it with a cough. He doubted he had succeeded in hiding it from either of them. Fawning over a girl when you were on a date with someone else was a dick move and he instantly felt like the need to beg apologies from both of them. Molly was a nice girl and one he genuinely wanted to pursue a...well, at least to date. But his heart quite simply wasn’t free; he hadn’t burned through his infatuation yet.
Right now, in this moment, he felt unfaithful to Alyse, which was the stupidest thing he’d thought in at least a week. He needed to provoke her somehow, to get
His first impulse was to say her name, sharp and surprised.
This, he did.
His next impulse was to laugh because the situation was hilariously, frustratingly funny.
This, he resisted.
Had Alyse been there the whole time? Had she seen the cuddling? What was she thinking?
After a moment’s deliberation, she walked down the aisle toward them, her mouth set in a tight smile like a hostile witness at a heated committee hearing. That likely meant all three of them didn’t want to have this conversation, though they weren’t going to let that stop them.
If she was stewing about the YWR situation, it hadn’t affected her appearance. Only her face showed the stress and then only to someone who knew its expressiveness as well as he did. He glanced down at Molly and her eyes were wide, taking it all in. And this was the casual weekend version.
“Alyse, this is Molly Mason. Molly, Alyse Philips.” Neither seemed totally happy with the situation as they shook hands in a limpid flounce. Not that Molly had anything to worry about—she looked great and noticeably low maintenance.
“Alyse is Parker’s fiancée’s roommate,” he said by way of explanation.
“And Molly is?” Alyse crossed her arms over her chest and tossed her hair.
He looked down into Molly’s face, upturned to his. They hadn’t decided how to handle this yet. It wasn’t like they were in a relationship; they were on their first date. He hadn’t intended to introduce her to his friends for a long time, if they got that far. He didn’t care that they’d met online—most of his life was conducted virtually—but he knew that some people might not want that fact broadcast.
“Uh,” he said, trying to buy some time, hoping that she would step in and save him.
“We met on Friday,” she said with a smile, turning back to Alyse. “We got together for coffee and then decided to catch a movie.” He sighed in relief that she’d handled it as well as she had.
Alyse relaxed one hand down to her sides. “Me too. Spontaneous movie, I mean.”
“Millie isn’t with you?” he asked. She’d been here by herself?
“No, she and Parker went to Maud’s early to help cook dinner.” He and Alyse had both been dragooned into the weekly Beckett family meal on occasion.
This was followed by an incredibly awkward silence.
He said, “Ah,” in case Alyse was waiting for him to acknowledge what she’d said, but no, that didn’t encourage her to continue. Not that she needed to, she’d answered his question.
“What...are the odds?” Alyse asked finally, when no one moved to fill the space between them all.
She had said almost exactly the same thing when they’d run into Ryan Scott on Friday. Not sure if she’d picked up on it, he repeated his line, “In this town, pretty darn good.”
At this, she smiled one of those broad, full smiles that hit him in every cell of his body at once. She turned the lights on inside him. Every time, it was a double punch to the gut, first because of her and then because of the statute of limitations on every positive feeling he had in her presence. How many seconds could he afford to delude himself this time? He sighed.
Just as quickly, he realized what he had done and tried to cover it with a cough. He doubted he had succeeded in hiding it from either of them. Fawning over a girl when you were on a date with someone else was a dick move and he instantly felt like the need to beg apologies from both of them. Molly was a nice girl and one he genuinely wanted to pursue a...well, at least to date. But his heart quite simply wasn’t free; he hadn’t burned through his infatuation yet.
Right now, in this moment, he felt unfaithful to Alyse, which was the stupidest thing he’d thought in at least a week. He needed to provoke her somehow, to get
Similar Books
