SLEAZE: A Hollywood Comeback Story (Book #1)

Chapter 28

Every so often, I stopped and wondered why I’d never made the effort to introduce Melanie to Scott. I had no doubt that the redhead and my best friend would get along; they had the same sense of humor, same good-natured outlook on life--they even hated the same things, including, but not limited to, most decisions that I made. I had a feeling that we’d all have a great time together but something always held me back from inviting Scott to join Melanie and me when we went for drinks after work. Maybe the problem was that I was afraid that they were too similar. After all, each time one of them laid into me about something that I’d done, I couldn’t help but imagine how miserable I’d be if they had the ammunition and means to team up against me.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Melanie said, cutting me off as I recounted the awkward ending to my dinner with Sophie the night before. “I give up. You're hopeless.”

“Thank you, Dr. Phil,” I muttered.

“No, seriously, Parker,” Melanie continued, her voice incredulous. “Are you even human? Literally every other guy on this planet would’ve taken the bait and made some kind of move after, oh, I don’t know, any one of the dozens of hints she’s dropped over the last few weeks."

"Literally?" I mimicked with a bitterness that came from knowing she was right.

"Did you really think for a second that she was saying she just wants to be your friend?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s obvious.”

“I mean, it’s not like anything can happen between us while I’m working here, anyway,” I protested, thinking back to Melanie’s warning months before. “You said so yourself.”

She clucked her tongue, unimpressed with my answer. “So what? You can always find another job but when are you going to get another chance to date Sophie Winters?”

“Technically, in five months when my internship ends.”

“If she’s still interested,” Melanie said, twisting her face into a skeptical frown. “People don’t just wait around forever. At some point, she’s going to get tired of this game you’re playing.”

“It’s not a game.”

“Right, and the Yankees never won the World's Series.”   

I chewed on the end of a pen I’d been twirling between my fingers and sighed. “Fine, whatever.”

“Do you want some advice?”

“Not really,” I said, though I knew I’d have a better chance of outrunning a stampede of rabid bulls than avoiding one of her lectures once she got going.

“For starters, I know that you’re, like, the most passive-aggressive person ever so I’m sure dating is very difficult for you, but open communication is really a thing that you should try.”

“It’s a character flaw.”

“Oh, get over yourself.” Melanie tilted her head and eyed me with disapproval. “Which leads me to my second point.”

“Can’t wait to hear it.”

“How old are you again?”

“Twenty-one. What does that—“

“Exactly. You’re not in middle school anymore, Parker.”

"Meaning?"

"Man up."

The pen’s plastic casing cracked between my molars and I lowered it from my mouth. I wiped the spit that coated its sheath onto my sleeve and asked, “Anything else?”