Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Was there an appropriate response to that?
“Thank you.” Leif settled on something simple, so I nodded along silently.
“Well, if we’re not asking about pups or romance or orgasms or tails, what do you do for a living?” The excitable one was trying to be polite but that just made the butterflies in my stomach start whirling again.
Leif came to the rescue. “I’m primarily a ghostwriter, but I also have several online publications that I write for.”
He was really good at writing and talking about it, so it wasn’t hard for him to keep chattering about books and all kinds of things. He was such a good distraction I almost missed the whispers coming from across the table.
“Why aren’t we supposed to ask about their relationship?”
Pretending not to hear the question or the reply, I swallowed and kept a smile on my face as Leif told a story about writing his first romance novel.
“Because they don’t think they’re in one yet. Eli said it would be rude to call them stupid or tell them we already thought they’d been together since they moved in. We have to be polite.”
Well, they’d been polite—but they needed to learn to whisper more quietly—and if Eli didn’t stop rolling his eyes, they were going to stick that way.
“So it was a learning experience but it all worked out in the end.” Leif chuckled and shook his head, completely downplaying the part where he’d sworn never to work with that author again.
Some people were nuts.
And not in the naked Leashes and Lace kind of way.
Chapter 16
Leif
“Well, I think that worked out great.” There’d definitely been some awkward parts but we’d gotten through them.
Ender didn’t seem like he was going to agree with me, though. “I…I think that was exhausting?”
It wasn’t the worst way he could’ve described the situation, so I wasn’t too worried as we made our way back to the loft and away from the crowded restaurant.
“I can understand that, but they seemed nice for the most part and were excited to get to know us.” Even if Eli had to keep reminding them that they weren’t supposed to be too curious about us yet.
“They…they asked questions.” Ender’s words didn’t worry me, but something about his tone didn’t sit right with me.
What had they asked him that I hadn’t heard?
“They’re a nosy bunch. But we’re new and we were kind of nosy first, so…” I shrugged as he finally chuckled, looking more like himself and less like he was lost in his head.
“At least we weren’t the weirdest people watching them?” His cheeky grin made me laugh. “I’m starting to see what Eli meant by not being weird, though.”
Yeah, me too.
“We were definitely the politest watchers they’ve got.” I wasn’t sure if we were the only building that could see into the studio, but I was hoping it wasn’t our neighbors who were nuts…and rude.
“Yeah, maybe that’s why they wanted to get to know us?” Ender was looking more confident as we finally got to the building, but it didn’t last long.
By the time we got into the loft, he was nibbling on his lower lip and his brows were pulled together. I wasn’t sure he was thinking about dinner but that was all I knew at the moment. “We don’t have to go again if you don’t want to.”
They’d made some vague comments about the next time we hung out with them, but it hadn’t felt like they were brushing us off.
Ender cocked his head and his expression cleared for the moment. “I don’t think I’d mind.”
Okay, so that hadn’t been the problem.
“I just…we might have to be ready to answer questions next time.” Giving me a look like he thought I knew what he was talking about, he took a deep breath. “Right?”
Yes.
Absolutely.
Once I figured out what he was thinking.
“Yes, we just need to make sure we’re on the same page.” That sounded like I knew what I was doing, right? “We’ll practice before we go out next time.”
I thought I was still doing good when he snickered.
“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” He stopped as I locked the door and folded his arms over his chest as he glared at me like a disgruntled little terrier. “That sounded really good. But it was just bullshit filler.”
Maybe.
I wasn’t going to admit it unless I had to, though. “That’s not very polite.”
Ender made another rude sound and rolled his eyes, looking so much like Eli for a moment that I almost laughed. “No, it’s calling you out on your bullshit.”
Nope. It was rude.
“Is it ever helpful to tell you that I don’t know why you’re worried?” Turning the question around on him, I mimicked his stance and glared at him.
He shivered.
When I smirked, he huffed and pouted. “That’s cheating.”
“Nope. That’s using your weakness against you.” Me. I was his weakness. “Now, we’re going to fix whatever is making you so cheeky at the moment.”