Social Neighbor (The Social Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

excited that he was going to hang out with his most recent love interest. I grumbled under my breath and took one last glance back into the club as Matt tugged me forward by my arm.
    There he stood, his back to me, his obsidian hair blending in with the darkness.
    Beautiful. Damn you, Matt!

Flor
     
    Fresh Air
     
    I couldn’t take it anymore. That’s what I knew for an absolute fact as I listened to his music blaring through the walls that morning. I dragged myself to work in a foul mood and that was no way to start my day. Especially not with everything that had been going on at work. My weekend went by entirely too fast but the work week hadn’t followed suit. It dragged by painfully slow and it was no wonder why. The tension in the office was palpable. No one knew what to make of the big change coming to the magazine and none of us were inclined to discuss it much. I had taken the opportunity to blabber on to my mom about it. She did the thing moms do—she reassured me and put a positive spin on it every chance she got. God love her for it.
    The only perk about today was that it was Friday and I had a date with Matt. He’d been extra attentive and encouraging lately, and it wasn’t just because my job was in jeopardy or that my books were at a stand still or that our neighbor had a special knack for pissing me off.
    He knew exactly how hard this time of year always was on me, and I loved him even more for holding my hand through it without ever mentioning a word about the past or why this time of year sucked for me.
    My cell phone chirped, notifying me of a new text. I swiped the screen and smiled at the picture message Matt sent me. It was a picture of my favorite bottle of wine with a text beneath it.
    Matty: Pregame. Get your pretty ass home so we can be ready early. <3
    Me: K. :) On my way.
    I slipped my flats on under my desk and gathered my things, looking forward to the weekend off with Matt.

    “Where are we going tonight? Want to go to the lounge and relax?” I asked before downing the rest of my wine, thinking that the jazz lounge with low lighting and a relaxed atmosphere sounded just right.
    “I’m in a dancing mood. How about that new place I was telling you about. Cal said it was pretty cool.” Cal . The most recent “friend” of Matt’s. I hadn’t asked him much about what was developing or not developing between them, but for now his social media relationship status was still “single.”
    “I heard it’s still a madhouse every night because it’s only been open for a few weeks.”
    “True. We could check out both of them.”
    “Okay, let’s do that. Do we have enough cash?” I asked, both of us taking inventory of the contents of our wallets. “I have eighty-six.”
    “I have the two-hundred I withdrew at lunch today. We’re good. Let’s go.”
    If Matt weren’t gay, I’d marry him. He’s a thoughtful, fun loving man who truly had my heart. I’d do anything for him and I knew for certain he felt the same about me.
    Despite it being a Friday night, the lounge was dull. Too dull. We stayed long enough to order a drink each and then we headed in the direction of the new club on 45th that Matt had been itching to check out. He’d said it was called Club Four-19.
    Just as I suspected, it was a madhouse, but the line to get in wasn’t horrible. Matt and I leaned against the gray brick exterior of the building, inching closer to the entrance as club goers were let in.
    A black SUV came to a stop right in front, drawing my attention as Matt fussed with his hair distractedly.
    “Holy. Shit,” I breathed, instantly recognizing Goliath, Mr. Stone. He unfolded his large frame from the passenger side of the SUV and began making his way to the entrance.
    He was wearing a crisp white shirt unbuttoned at the top, revealing the hollow at the base of his neck. His face was clean-shaven, displaying a sharp jawline matching the rest of his features perfectly.
    “What’s wrong with you?”