Nothing Like Love by Abigail Strom Read Free Book Online Page A

her address automatically. As the cab pulled away, she turned to stare at Zach through the back window.
    What. The. Hell?

C HAPTER F IVE
    A re you seriously telling me you didn’t hook up with Zach last night?”
    Kate’s eyes were incredulous as they met Simone’s in the mirror. The two of them were in the Ritz-Carlton suite that Jessica had reserved for her bridal party, and they had an hour left to get ready before they left for the church.
    The other bridesmaids, already done with hair and makeup, had given up the vanity table to Kate and Simone. Simone was braiding tea roses into Kate’s hair per Jessica’s instructions.
    “That’s what I’m telling you. For a moment there I thought he was interested, but apparently I was wrong.”
    “You weren’t wrong. Are you kidding? The sparks between you almost set the tablecloth on fire. I’ve never seen a man look at a woman with that much carnal intent. He was ready to throw you over his shoulder, and you looked like a woman who was down with that plan. What happened?”
    Simone shrugged with as much unconcern as she could muster, but the truth was, she was as confused as Kate.
    “It must have been the phone call,” Kate decided. “Things changed after that, right? Maybe it was an old girlfriend.”
    “He’s been single for a while if you believe the tabloids, but of course they don’t know everything.”
    Kate was off and running now. “Maybe she’s pregnant. Ooh, what if that’s it! Let’s say they just broke up. So he’s here in New York, and totally attracted to you, and he wants to take the next step. Then she calls and tells him she’s pregnant. And while he will always feel a hint of regret whenever he thinks about you, his sense of honor and duty comes first. Also he really does care about the ex-girlfriend. At least I hope he does, because otherwise this storyline is really depressing.”
    Simone put the last rose in Kate’s hair. “What’s even more depressing is the fact that I totally choked last night. I mean, I may not be good at much, but I do know how to flirt. Right?”
    Kate grinned at her in the mirror. “Yep. I’ve seen you in action, and you are good.”
    “Well, you should have heard me last night. I was a total amateur. Not to mention the fact that I started out by literally throwing myself at him. What if I’ve lost my mojo?”
    Kate got up and gestured for Simone to take her place. “Okay, your turn.”
    Simone sat down obediently and Kate picked up the pencil-thin curling iron she’d brought with her.
    “A couple things,” Kate said as she went to work, curling Simone’s short black hair lock by lock. “First of all, you only lose your flirting mojo when you really like someone. I mean, isn’t that a thing? To spaz out when you’re actually into the person?”
    Simone frowned. “I guess it could be a thing, but it doesn’t happen to me.”
    “Exactly! You don’t normally get serious about guys. But you really like Zach, don’t you? So this is different.”
    Simone watched her cheeks turn pink and hoped that Kate, if she noticed, would put it down to the proximity of the curling iron.
    “I don’t like Zach. Don’t be ridiculous. Anyway, he’s got a girlfriend.”
    “What do you mean, he’s got a girlfriend? We just made that up. We don’t know if it’s actually true.”
    “How else do you explain last night? First he’s into me, then the phone call, then he’s not into me? Unless you think it’s my sudden lack of mojo.”
    “You haven’t lost your mojo. Your mojo is fine.” Kate shrugged. “It could be anything. Maybe his grandmother died. Maybe he found out he lost all his money in a pyramid scheme. Maybe someone posted naked pictures of him on the Internet.”
    “God, I hope it’s that last one.”
    “Me, too.”
    “Okay, I guess you’re right. We don’t know what happened with Zach last night, and there’s no reason to believe my mojo is gone for good.”
    “And you have a crush on