Page 7 of Screwed

Sutton is gorgeous and so smart that it’s easy to see why Teller fell for her. Lyla is so bold and pretty that Hudson never really stood a chance at resisting her. Flynn and Madelyn have been in love with each other since the night that they met. They have so much in common and Madelyn is so bright and sweet that it’s impossible not to love her.

Then there’s me.

I tend to stick to the background. I’m not drop-dead gorgeous, outgoing, or bold. I’m boring and I know it.

Who is going to fall for someone like that?

I don’t say any of this to my friends. I just let them make up elaborate plans for how I could run into Arlo and seduce him. I giggle into my wine at one of Lyla’s more outlandish ones involving me emerging from the water like a mermaid as Arlo walks along the beach.

“I think you might have watched The Little Mermaid one too many times,” I tell her and she frowns.

“First of all, there’s no such thing as watching The Little Mermaid too many times.”

Sutton nods along and I laugh.

“And second, it would totally work! All of your curves in a little bikini, he’d be a goner!” She insists and I roll my eyes.

“I think you should try it,” Sutton says and that’s when I know that she’s had too much.

“Okay, I think that maybe you need to sleep this off,” I joke, pushing her wineglass away from her.

“Hey, I heard that this was where the party was at,” Teller says as he pokes his head around my front door.

“Yep, come on in.”

He must have just gotten off his shift at the firehouse. Sutton waves him over and he drops a kiss on her lips.

“Are you hungry?” I ask him and he looks at the pot roast.

“I could eat.”

I just smile as I grab him a plate and a wineglass. Stan is half asleep on the couch with Bandit and I realize that I feel content.

Maybe I won’t need a man. Maybe I can just be happy with my friends around.

I take a seat at the table again and ponder how I’m going to convince them of that.