Page 87 of Unsuitable

“Sit still, will you? Honestly, Daisy, you’re worse than some of the kids whose hair I have to cut.”

“I’m sorry. I just don’t know if it’s a good idea to make such an effort with my hair when I’m not really sure that I should be going out with Cooper. I don’t want to get all dressed up and give him the wrong idea.”

Cece lowers the curling iron from my hair, and she pins me with a stare in the mirror. “One, it’s your first date since getting out of”—she hesitates—“that place.”

Cece doesn’t refer to it as prison. I think she thinks that it will upset me if she brings prison up, but it doesn’t. Honestly, I think it upsets her more—the fact that I was in there and she couldn’t do anything to help me.

“It’s not a date, Ce. We’re just two friends and work colleagues who are going out for a drink.”

She gives me a look. “He asked you out. It’s a date. And why do you think you shouldn’t be going out with him?”

I blow out a breath. “Because he asked me literally minutes after I had my tongue down my boss’s throat, and I wasn’t exactly thinking straight.”

My stomach twists in pleasure and pain at the memory.

I haven’t seen Kas since he walked away from me yesterday.

After I came in the house with Cooper, after disastrously accepting his offer to go for a drink, we were in the kitchen, and I heard the front door slam loudly. Then, Kas’s car revved loudly before pulling away.

He didn’t come home for the rest of the day. And he wasn’t at the house at all yesterday or today.

I don’t know where he’s been. But I do know for sure that he’s avoiding me.

I know this because his bed was clearly slept in for both nights. I had the pleasure of making them both mornings.

Obviously, he got up early and left before I arrived for work, and he stayed out until I was gone.

At first, I was relieved because it saved me from an awkward conversation. But, once the relief was gone, absence started to hurt. And all it served to do was remind me of why he’d stopped kissing me in the first place.

And this going out for drinks with Cooper is stupid. I’ve got enough problems with one guy at work without mixing myself up with another.

“I’m going to cancel on Cooper,” I say decisively, making a grab for my phone, which is sitting on the dressing table where I’m seated.

“Don’t you bloody dare, Daisy May Smith.”

My hand stops over the phone, my fingers curled around it.

“Hand off the phone, Mayday.” There’s a no-brokering tone to her voice.

Giving her the stink eye, I slowly lift my hand off the phone.

“No, you listen to me. Above anyone, you deserve a night out. After everything you’ve been through, you’re owed a night out with a good guy who’s also hot. And Australian. So, you know, accent.” She grins.

“Granted, I’ll give you the accent. But I said good-looking. Not hot.”

“Same thing.”

“Jason was hot.”

She frowns at me.

“And I thought he was a good guy,” I continue. “Look where that got me.”

Her scowl quickly softens. “Jason is a plague on society. A waste of perfectly good air. I hate that scum and will wish him well in hell when I send him there. But he’s not all men, babe. I don’t want what happened with that wankstain to sour you on all men. And I’m not suggesting that you have to have a relationship with Cooper or even trust him right away. But I just want you to go out and have some fun. Let someone wine and dine you—or, in this case, just wine you. You deserve it, Dais.”

“I know.” I sigh. “But it just feels wrong.”

“Because of Kas?”