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"Why is she so worked up?" Arden asks, getting out another spoonful of yogurt from the small packet in her hand. I frantically type away on my computer as Emma replies over the cubicle separator.
"Calum kissed her forehead." I groan and spin around in my chair to face the two girls.
"Forehead kisses are my weakness," I exasperate. "Calum has done absolutely nothing wrong. We have had three dates and everything is absolutely perfect."
"Maybe this is a good thing?"
"This whole thing is based on the guy being flawed and Calum isn't so how long will I have to go out with him until he slips up?" I lean back in my seat. "Do you think he knows?"
"How on earth would he know about the project?"
"I don't know," I mutter. "He's just too perfect."
"That's enough, Scotty," Emma scolds me. "You're so adamant on finding things wrong with guys that when you finally meet someone who doesn't bother you, you pick out and complain that he's too perfect? You can't stop going out with someone for being good to you."
"I guess you're right," I sigh. "God, I'm such a bitch."
"Have some yogurt," Arden says handing me her cup with the spoon stuck in it. "It'll calm you down."
"Thanks."
"So when are you going out again?"
"I'm going over to watch a movie on Friday." I look over to Emma, waving my empty spoon around. "I think you should meet Calum's roommate. You'd like him."
"Don't make this about me," she rolls her eyes. "This is about you overcoming your addiction of branding guys based on their flaws that really shouldn't even be dealbreakers."
"I do not brand guys," I say through a spoonful of yogurt.
"Arden, you remember Hurling Sterling, right?" Arden nods. "And Late Nate?" Another nod. "Oh and what was that guy you left because he went to the bathroom too many times?"
"Oh, I know!" Arden yelps. "Bathroom Boy Troy."
"OK, I get your point," frown. "I don't mean to do it, and don't act like you don't do the same—remember Bad Chad and Small Willy Billy?"
"That was one time!" they both exclaim in unison and I smile in content.
"My point has been proven."
...
When I walk through the door to Calum's apartment the smell of buttered popcorn fills my senses. I walk after him into the kitchen and take a seat on one of the the bar stools, leaning onto my elbows as I watch him empty the popcorn into a large bowl.
He can feel my eyes on him because he looks up with a suspicious smile on his lips, his eyes squinted. "What?"
"Nothing," I smile back, a small blush rising to my cheeks. "You're nice to watch."
"It's all that papaya enzyme. Gives me that ethereal glow." I laugh at his words as I roll my eyes. "You wanna grab the glasses?"
"Yeah, sure." I hop down from the stool and grab the two glasses from the counter. We walk to the living room and as we round the couch I notice the other snacks and bottles of soda on the coffee table. "How many people are coming tonight?"
"I never got around to asking you what you wanted so I just got some of everything."
"Good thing I got stuck at work and didn't have time to get dinner then," I smile at him. He leans back and drapes an arm over the backrest of the sofa.
"You know you can just stop by the restaurant any time and I can have something ready for you. We can't have you dating a chef and have you skipping meals."
"You do make really good tacos," I hum leaning back in the sofa and tucking my legs under myself. "Maybe you can cater if I throw a party."
Calum breaks out into a huge smile at my words. "Oh shut up," he laughs. "Will you have your boyfriend show up at the party as well?"
"No she didn't!"
"Oh she did," he nods and I feel bad for him but I can't help but let out a small laugh.
"I've actually never had a boyfriend."
"How come?" He reaches for a remote and clicks it and the room goes darker. Another click and the TV offers us a dim light.
"I guess it's my fault," I admit. "I can be kind of picky sometimes, which is one of those things I blame my mother for—she was never picky and now she's in her fifties and she's alone."
"I don't think you'll be alone," he tells me bluntly. "You're not that bad."
"Gee, thanks." He laughs and soon the movie starts playing. "I do think that some of the guys had it coming though."
"What about me?" I turn to face Calum fully, and his eyes are glowing with the reflection of the light from the television.
"For some reason unbeknownst to me I can't seem to find anything wrong with you, Calum Hood," I tell him. "I wonder what you're compensating for."
"Oh I'm not compensating for anything," he boasts. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and he notices as his eyes flit down to my lips. His tongue darts out to wet his own and I find myself inching closer to him on the couch.
"Care to test that theory?" I almost whisper, and with a small smile on his lips he closes the space between us by pressing his lips to mine. Calum's hand comes up to the side of my face as he deepens the kiss and the other, which had been resting on the backrest, finds its way around to my lower back to pull me closer to him.
The front door flies open with a bang as it hits the wall behind it and we quickly pull away from each other to look over. Luke stumbles inside with his hands roaming over the body of a girl in a tight dress. Luke seems to notice the TV is on and he looks over, slightly out of breath.
"Hey, guys." He sees me sitting beside Calum and nods my way. "Nice seeing you again, Scotty."
"You too."
"We'll be in my room," he announces and the pair stumbles down a hallway to leave Calum and I alone once again.
