The Playboy's Crush By Deborah A. Olaleye

EIGHT

"Please!" Lara groaned. She had lost count of how much she had rolled her eyes over how her friends gushed about how much she had changed over the months she had been working for Shane's company.

"How many proposals have you received over the week? Tell me!" Kyle demanded, bouncing excitedly on the settee she sat on. "Add mine to it, because I'm asking you out right now."

"Alice in Wonderland." Meredith made a dramatic show of falling to one knee and extending her arms out to Lara.

"What's that?" Kyle tsked, shook her head at Meredith's display, and giggled. She turned her attention back to Lara. "This is wow!" She swept her hand in the air to capture Lara's frame.

"We haven't been able to hang out much over the previous month, but I'm totally awed and speechless by the change in your outlook," Meredith said.
"Don't go breaking hearts, alright?"

"Goodness! You are so beautiful it hurts to look away, Lara," Joe complimented, a smile crossing his lips.

"Look away, Joe. Laura wouldn't find it funny if she heard you giving out compliments to another woman," Meredith told him.

"Lara isn't another woman. She's my friend, and of course, I can appreciate her flawless beauty as much as you guys can. I'm a man with eyes, please."

"Keep those eyes on your girlfriend, then, Joe," Meredith stated firmly, holding his gaze.

"Snap out of it, you two," Kyle chided. "Meredith's right, Joe. There's so much patience a lady can have when it comes to her man. Don't give Laura more reasons to be intimidated by Lara."

Joe furrowed his brows. "We've all been friends for years."

"Until you asked her out. You are now exclusively her man. So, forget about being friends with any of us; we are all potential threats when it comes to staking her claim on her man, alright?" Meredith told him.

Joe huffed. "Women and their jealousy!"

"Men and their covetousness," Meredith returned.
Lara raked her fingers through her hair. "That's enough. You all are making me feel uncomfortable with myself."

They all looked at her.

"I'm right here, and you are discussing how I am distressing and intimidating to you. It unnerves me."

"I don't feel intimidated by you, Lara," Kyle said.

"Neither do I," Meredith included.

"Me neither," Joe said, scowling as Meredith turned her face in his direction. "What?" 

Kyle and Lara laughed at the two.

"Meredith, stay off Joe's case, will you?" Kyle chuckled.

Meredith snorted. "Stay off his case, my foot."

"If I weren't any wiser, I would think you have a huge crush on him," Kyle teased.

Joe made a show of widening his eyes in shock. "I'm not surprised. I get fawned over by women wherever I go."

Meredith leaped off her seat and flung a pillow at him.

He dodged it.

"You utter one more word, and Laura would have to date half of you by the time she comes back from her trip."

Joe stuck his tongue at her and flung the pillow back at her.

Lara and Kyle reclined on a cushion and watched the two, amused.

"I expected they would have grown out of this years ago," Kyle said. "They would have made lovely couples, don't you think?" Kyle whispered to Lara.

Lara nodded, smiling at the two. "Surely, they would have, but I think Laura would have our tongues should she ever hear us saying this."