Page 78 of Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

She was drowning in this woman, happily, blissfully, which was probably why she didn’t hear the bedroom door open until Claire’s voice filled the space.

“Oh, Jordan, I’m so sorry,” Claire said. Jordan and Astrid froze. “I didn’t realize you’d come in here. Have you seen Ast—”

But Claire cut herself off when Jordan turned to look over her shoulder, revealing Astrid underneath her, very clearly make-out mussed, her thigh still wrapped around Jordan’s hip.

Claire blinked. “Oh my god.”

“Um,” Astrid said. “Hi.”

“Yeah. Um. Hi,” Claire said back, still blinking rapidly.

“Okay, this is a little awkward,” Jordan said, untangling herself from Astrid and sitting up. Astrid got up too, straightening her shirt.

“I’m sorry, Claire, I didn’t mean to go all R-rated in your bedroom,” Jordan said.

Claire waved a hand, then laughed nervously before rubbing her hands over her face. “I just... wow, I don’t... um...”

Astrid watched her best friend wrestle with her shock, waiting for embarrassment to wash over her.

It never came.

She wasn’t embarrassed at all. She was just... damn, she was justhappy.She slid her hand into Jordan’s, squeezing once. Jordan glanced at her and winked, squeezing back.

Finally, Claire seemed to get a grip on herself. “We need to get over to Iris’s,” she said. “That’s why I came to find you.”

Alarm quickly mingled with her happiness. “Is she okay?”

Claire nodded. “Physically, yes, but something happened with Jillian.”

It took a second for the words to process. “Jillian? Jillian’s not even in town.”

“I know. But when Simon and I went inside to find her, she was gone. Her car was gone too. She wasn’t answering her phone, so Delilah went over to her place to check on her and... I don’t know. She’s upset, but won’t say what happened until you and I get there. Said she doesn’t want to say it more than once.”

“What?” Astrid said. “Iris loves rehashing stuff.”

“I know,” Claire said, nodding, “which is why I’m pretty worried here.”

“Right,” Astrid said, scooting to the end of the bed and grabbing her sandals that had fallen off and onto the floor at some point. She caught Jordan’s eye as she slipped them on.

“Go,” Jordan said. “You need to see your friend.”

“You’ll be okay?”

Jordan grinned. “More than okay.”

“Hand me your phone.”

Jordan did and Astrid opened up her contacts, putting in her number. A little thrill went through her. So far, they’d only communicatedthrough emails and the direct message feature of the design program they’d been using. Officially having each other’s numbers—and in a much nicer context than demanding dry cleaning—felt somehow romantic.

“Text me, okay?” she said as she handed Jordan’s phone back. “Or I’ll text you after... I’m not sure how long I’ll be over there.”

“No worries, Parker.”

Astrid nodded. She really wanted to kiss Jordan goodbye, but Claire was standing right there, watching them with thisWho the hell are you and what have you done with my best friendexpression on her face, so she resisted.

But as she joined Claire in the doorway, she did glance back to see a grin settle over Jordan’s face as she looked at her phone, no doubt seeing the name Astrid had entered for herself in Jordan’s contacts.

Semi-Decent Human Who Wants to Kiss You Again