GirlNextDoor Read Online Free PDF Page A

hand
descended again. “Hey, uh, you’re kind of blocking traffic here.”
    Nolan reluctantly stepped back, though he kept one arm over
Lucy’s shoulder. “Sorry, sorry.”
    The cop looked the woman beside him up and down. “Not sayin’
I blame you any.”
    Lucy smiled brightly. It was a smile that could make men
walk into walls. “We’ll get out of the way,” she promised.
    “Okay. Thanks.”
    They walked, though not quickly. “How’ve you been?” Lucy
asked.
    It was a loaded question. She knew how he’d been. He’d
called her after the breakup, and she’d called him every night after for
several weeks, until he asked her to stop. She knew what he’d been through. And
she’d know now if he lied. “I’m better,” he said honestly. “Not all better, but
lots better.”
    “And we’re really going to buy furniture?”
    “I promise.”
    She looked over at him, her brown eyes warm and serious at
the same time. “Good. I’ve been worried about you.”
    “You and John both. I know.” He shrugged. “So here I am.
Socializing.”
    Lucy laughed. “Oh is that what we’re calling this now?
Socializing?”
    She was a gorgeous woman. He was a gay man. They’d known
each other since before kindergarten. They’d spent a weekend making love once.
They never would again. But they always slept in the same bed when they were
together. “I don’t know what the hell this is,” Nolan answered. “I’m just glad
you’re here.”
    * * * * *
    Lucy looked around his apartment, her lips pursed in
disapproval. He’d told her that Kevin had taken a lot of the furniture, but he
could see in her posture that she hadn’t expected it to be this bad. He watched
her gaze linger on the tiny TV. But when she finally spoke, all she said was,
“Well, good. We can buy all kinds of new stuff.”
    “Thanks,” Nolan answered.
    “For what?”
    “For not saying you told me so.”
    Lucy gazed at him. “I did, you know.” A little teasing smile
played around the corners of her mouth.
    “I know you did.”
    “Bed first,” she decreed. “That futon thing is not going to
cut it. And then a decent TV set.”
    “Whatever you say,” Nolan agreed happily.
    * * * * *
    “You have frozen dinners,” Lucy announced.
    “Yeah.” Nolan finished opening a second bottle of beer and
glanced over at her. She was standing in front of the open freezer with her
hands on her hips. “I don’t cook much.”
    “I know. But shrimp in linguini? Sea bass? You don’t even
like seafood.”
    “Yeah,” he said again, slowly. “You’re welcome to them, but
they’re probably outdated.”
    “They’re Kevin’s.”
    “Yeah.”
    Lucy and Kevin had met twice, and heartily disliked each
other both times. But she didn’t comment on that. Instead, she shook her head.
“So they’re six months old. Ewww.”
    “I just never got around to throwing them out,” Nolan
admitted.
    “Ewww,” Lucy said again. She closed the door. “Tomorrow.”
    “I promise.”
    * * * * *
    Later, stretched out next to Lucy on the little futon bed,
Nolan said, “I’ve decided I really do want you to meet John.”
    “Oh good.”
    “Without him and you, I don’t know if I would have gotten
through this.”
    Lucy took his hand in the dark and squeezed it. “I’m glad
you’re finally feeling better.”
    They were quiet for a time, and then Lucy asked, “Is he
hot?”
    “John? Yeah.”
    “You got a thing for him?”
    “He’s straight, Lucy.”
    “That’s not what I asked.”
    Nolan hesitated. “If he was gay—or bi—I might make a play
for him. Maybe.”
    “Maybe?”
    “He’s kind of a player.” Nolan chuckled. “Not kind of.
Totally. He’s commitment-phobic.”
    “So he’s more my type than yours.”
    “Exactly.”
    “But you’re still friends with him.”
    “I’m friends with you,” Nolan pointed out, “and you never
met a zipper you didn’t want to open.”
    She giggled in the dark. “Are you calling me a slut?”
    “No, of course