Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl Read Free Book Online Page B

sounded a lot like, “It’s not you, it’s me,” except that they’d never even gone to lunch. “I see,” was all he could say.
    “I can’t believe this,” she muttered.
    “Look, I just wanted to take you out for a drink, and maybe we could—”
    “Whatever she told you, I am not going to use you for sex.”
    The imaginary air conditioner switched off. So did his brain.
    “Not that I wouldn’t love to!” she went on. “But it’s really about random, meaningless fun, not dating. I’m not in a good place for dating right now. I’m sorry you were dragged into this. She just won’t drop it.”
    “Who?” he rasped.
    “Molly! What did she tell you to get you over here?”
    Quinn clutched the beer bottle tighter, feeling the smooth glass press his skin, grounding himself so that he could make his brain work. “Molly hasn’t called me in weeks.”
    Though she’d been reaching for her own beer, Lori’s hand froze just an inch from the bottle. “Excuse me?”
    “I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about.”
    Her hand fell away to hover near her side. “That doesn’t…No. Why would you be here if Molly hadn’t called?”
    Maybe she wasn’t as smart as he’d always thought. “Lori, I came over to ask you out. Period. It’s not that complicated.”
    “Oh.” The pink started right at the skin just above her shirt and floated inexorably higher, past her collarbones, then up her neck to her jaw. Her cheeks flamed redder than the rest of her skin. “Oh, God. Are you sure?”
    “Very sure. But what were you saying about using me for sex?”
    Her body tilted slightly to the left, then the right. Alarmed, Quinn was moving toward her, meaning to grab her elbow and help her to a seat, but the oven timer went off and the sound snapped her straight.
    She moved stiffly to the oven, grabbed a hot pad, and in a moment she was standing at the counter, staring down at a perfectly roasted chicken and a loaf of hot bread. “Okay,” she said to the poultry. “Okay.”
    “Lori—”
    “No, just…Let’s have dinner. I’m sorry there’s not more. I was just going to have a salad and…Oh, Jesus.”
    Quinn let silence fall, utterly unsure of how he should proceed. His thoughts were ping-ponging back and forth, running into each other like drunk kids in a mosh pit. When Lori moved, grabbing plates to set the table, he jumped on the opportunity to give them both time and took her beer and the bottle of dressing.
    Sex. Lori Love wanted sex.
    He grabbed the salads and carried them over while Lori brought the chicken.
    No dating. Just sex. Nothing else.
    He watched her hips as she hurried back to the fridge and let himself imagine. Sex. With Lori. The images came easy and quick.
    Once the food was served and all the busywork ran out, they both lowered themselves slowly into chairs and looked anywhere but at each other as they dug into the salad.
    Though he’d never been into meaningless sex, Quinn wasn’t above liking the idea of it. And, actually, it would solve one of the more serious problems in his life: he was a terrible boyfriend. Seriously bad. Out of all the women he’d dated, not one had been happy for more than a month.
    He forgot things, important things like dates and birthdays. On the phone, he had the attention span of a gnat. Worked late more often than not and liked to read books about engineering when he got home. It was a sad measure of a relationship when a woman grew jealous of New Physics in Architecture.
    Quinn started on the chicken.
    Considering his track record, asking Lori out in the first place had probably been idiotic. But if they kept it meaningless and casual…None of his shortcomings would matter, would they? They’d simply go their separate ways, some very nice memories between them.
    A few minutes later, Quinn set down his fork and raised his eyes. Lori kept chewing for a few moments, until she noticed his attention and swallowed hard.
    “What?” she asked.
    “Did you