Читать книгу Unwrapping Mr. Wright - Michele Dunaway - Страница 11

Chapter 4

“So, did you miss me?” Jeff’s infectious grin widened, and despite her earlier misgivings about what would happen upon seeing him again, Lauren smiled right back.

She pointed to the huge basket of laundry he carried in his arms. “I don’t think I missed you that much.”

Jeff’s grin turned sheepish. “Nah, probably not, but to make up for it, I’ll buy the Chinese food that’s on its way.”

“Ooh, sold,” Lauren said. She opened her front door wider, the cold air coming to swirl around her bare feet. In a moment she’d put her cow slippers on. “I guess you can come in.”

“Thanks.” Jeff bumped Lauren’s Christmas wreath as he entered the condo and made his way to her laundry closet. She straightened the wreath out and closed the door. “You know, one of these days I will buy a washer and dryer,” he called back over his shoulder.

“You keep promising,” Lauren said as she followed him into her kitchen.

Jeff set the laundry basket on the kitchen table. “No, not promising, just saying. There’s a difference.”

“Yeah, which is why you’re always here with your laundry basket.”

He pulled open the double doors that concealed the washer and dryer. “Oh, come on. It’s your wonderful company.”

“I just live closer than your mother,” Lauren said. “And she’d harp on you about finding a wife.”

“True,” Jeff acknowledged. “You’re cuter than my mom, too.” He opened the washing-machine lid, turned around and squinted for a moment. “Did you do something with your hair?”

“I had it cut and colored.”

“Looks good,” Jeff said as he dumped the basket out onto the table. “So was that the surprise?”

As if he’d really noticed, Lauren thought. He’d hardly glanced at her hair. But then, why should he? She was only a pal. She sighed, but as he sorted his whites from his darks, Jeff didn’t notice her resignation. “That was the surprise,” she said.

“Cool. So, did you catch the game Monday night?” Jeff asked.

“No,” Lauren said quickly.

Jeff paused from loading the dark clothes into the washer. His eyes narrowed. “I don’t believe it. You missed Monday Night Football? What happened? That’s unreal.”

Lauren thought quickly. “Yeah, I know. But my mom wanted some help putting up her Christmas tree. And since you were out of town…”

“Too bad. You missed a great game. Even listening to the game being streamed live over the Internet was better than nothing.” The image of domestic bachelor bliss, Jeff poured liquid soap into the washer. “At least Justin fed my cat. Seen much of him lately?”

“Your cat?”

“Ha-ha. You’ve become a joker since I left for Buffalo. I meant my brother.”

“Just at work,” Lauren replied.

“He didn’t have any parties, no hot babes all over the place?”

Not unless she’d now be considered a hot babe. And of course he’d stopped before “having” her. “No. It was pretty quiet. I didn’t even notice he was there.”

Superstition had her crossing her fingers behind her back just to be on the safe side.

Jeff shook his head in disbelief as he turned the washer on. “The boy must be slipping. He hasn’t dated anyone serious in quite a while. A year, I think. Rather unlike him. Perhaps I should sign him up for one of those dating services, like that ‘just lunch’ one. Or force him to place a personal ad or something the way we did Jared. I’ll have to mull it over.”

“Maybe he’s finally maturing.”

“Nah, his babe-of-the-month-club subscription probably expired,” Jeff said. He pressed Start and the washer began filling. “It is Christmas. Maybe I’ll get him another one. Hmm. Think that’s a good idea?”

Lauren didn’t want to talk about Justin or his legion of past women. She avoided the question by changing the subject. “So, how was your mother’s birthday party?”

Jeff tossed the whites back into the laundry basket. “Good. She loved her gifts and hounded us to get married so that we can give her grandbabies. She said cats and computers don’t cut it.”

“That would be your mom.” Lauren had met Mrs. Wright on quite a few occasions when she’d visited Jeff.

“She’s definitely got a mind of her own,” Jeff said. “She keeps telling us she wants granddaughters. I think she’s tired of being surrounded by all boys at family gatherings. Justin and I are hoping that Jared will take the heat off.” Jeff paused as a knock sounded on Lauren’s front door. “Come on in,” he called.

Lauren frowned. “Food already?”

Jeff shook his head. “Too soon. I only phoned them about ten minutes ago, right before I came over here. I wanted to wait until after Justin arrived so he could eat, too. I’d never hear the end of it otherwise.”

Justin was coming? Lauren blinked as a stone dropped in her stomach. She’d envisioned a quiet evening with Jeff. She tried to focus on what Jeff was saying. “I left a message on the counter for Justin to head over when he got home. Tonight’s hopefully his last night staying at my place. I’m getting sick of him.”

Justin’s grin was infectious as he entered the small kitchen, but to Lauren his smile spelled doom. “Yeah, I’m getting sick of you, too. Plus, I’m tired of wearing your clothes.”

Jeff laughed. “You just don’t have any style or taste.”

“I do, too,” Justin retorted. Lauren knew the brothers were teasing each other.

“You’re lucky business casual is now an art form.” Jeff rummaged in Lauren’s refrigerator and removed a bottle of the beer Lauren kept just for him. Except for an occasional one during Monday Night Football, she rarely drank beer. “Want one?” Jeff asked his brother.

“Sure,” Justin said. He glanced at Lauren. She glanced at her feet. “Hello, Lauren.”

“Hello, Justin,” Lauren replied. She picked up the laundry basket and moved it to the floor. Two seconds without having to look at him. She closed the closet doors—three seconds more. So much for her Thursday evening. She’d been avoiding Justin for two days, ever since the encounter in his office. She’d been doing a good job of it up until this point.