Chapter 2

A loud and repetitive buzzing interrupted my sleep. I rolled over to silence the annoying sound, feeling the heat of another body against my side as I moved. My eyes still clenched shut, I swatted my hand in the general direction of the alarm. Finally making contact with a solid object I felt for the off button.

A couple of seconds more of fumbling passed before it was finally quiet. My mouth was dry and my brain was foggy. Nothing unusual there, both were consequences of the night before.

Consequences that I was more than used to by now. It took me a few moments before I realised that it was Saturday, mentally scolding myself for not having cancelled the alar. I rolled back over attempting to get comfortable once more in preparation for more sleep. When a small sigh came from the sleeping form next to me, I looked into Dylan's face. I couldn't help but take a moment to appreciate the finely sculpted face that was inches from my own.

He was very handsome, had a gorgeously formed body and great bedroom skills to go with it. It made him quite the catch. To any other girl anyway. Me... Nope. I don't do relationships, truth be told, I never have done. They just aren't my thing. I prefer to be free, not tied down, live with no rules or boundaries being laid out for me. I can have fun with whoever I want. I have sex. No strings, no commitments. I like my lifestyle, it's not for everyone but it works for me.

It's this kind of attitude and behaviour that has caused me to be the black sheep of my family. My parents have always seen me as a disappointment. They are both partners in a law firm. They expected their children to have similar ambitions and desires for power, wealth and success. Of course, my older sister Melody did just that, fulfilling their wishes she attended law school and is on her way to becoming a partner at another firm. But me... I dropped out of school at sixteen and immediately began working at a restaurant as a waitress.

My parents have never forgiven me for that, even after all this time. For throwing everything down the drain, as they see it. They don't care or accept that it just isn't my path to follow. The only person I have on my side who understands me and what I want from life is my best friend, Evan. We've been close since meeting my first year in secondary school, just a few months older than me we soon got close. He's just like a male version of myself. In the face that's probably why we are such great friends.

Over the last ten years whenever I see my parents I get the same lectures as when I was still a teenager. Now thirty and holding down a good job as a planner for an events organising company, I'm still seen by them as the teen dropout who can never do anything right. By this point though, I'm past caring about their opinions. They have one perfect daughter to be proud of, I'm fine with being who I am these days.

When you live with something for long enough you give up trying to change it. I just happen to have that attitude regarding my family now. Even the relationship I had with Melody has long fallen apart. We aren't close anymore and haven't been for some time. It's not that I don't like my sister, just that we have nothing in common anymore. Not since we were little kids anyway.

She's a younger version of our mother, career orientated, narrow-minded and too... 'perfect'. In fact, the only thing currently not perfect about her is her lack of a husband. Now aged thirty-two, my parents were hoping she'd be married and about to pop out a few grandkids. However, due to her dedication to the job, men have been on the back burner for quite some time. Her loss in my opinion. The girl doesn't know what she's missing.

Smiling to myself at the thoughts of last night, I snuggled up into the duvet and closed my eyes ready to drift off. Suddenly a knock on the door startled me. I groaned as I sat up and swung my legs out of the bed. Taking note of how this was the second morning interruption that Dylan had slept through. The bloody guy could probably sleep through a hurricane. Shaking my head I grabbed my silky robe from the chair near the bed and made my way downstairs to the front door. Swinging it open to reveal Evan smiling back at me carrying two cups of coffee and a tray of doughnuts.

"So I figured you'd need these." He grinned shoving his way into the hall

" Oh do come in, Ev."

"Thanks, I will." He replied wandering into the living room.

It was pretty common practice for Evan to behave like this, he practically treated my place as his second home. But I liked that. I've always been comfortable around him. I can be myself with him and we know everything about each other.

Holding one coffee cup out towards me, he opened the lid on the doughnut box to reveal a row of jam doughnuts and a row of chocolate glazed next to them. My mouth instantly watered at the sight of the sweet treats. I took a sip of coffee as I sat down on the arm of the sofa and selected a doughnut. Taking a bite of the sweet and sugary treat I instantly felt more awake and energised.

"Good night?" He asked, throwing himself down on the sofa next to me, fixing me with a knowing look and picking a doughnut for himself.

"Yeah, thanks. Where did you get to in the end?"

"Had a date." He winked at me lifting his coffee cup to his lips.

I laughed before asking, "What's her name?"

"Fuck knows. Laurie, Lanie... Something beginning with L."

"Where did you meet her?"

"At that work function, you dragged me to last week." He shrugged grabbing for another doughnut. I nearly spat my mouthful of coffee out as suddenly it clicked.

"Wait do you mean Leslie? Redhead, fake boobs, fake hair, fake nails... Well just ninety-nine percent fake basically," I ask him.

He took a moment to think it over before nodding, "Yup, that's the one."

"Wow, our standards are slipping dude." I laughed as he rolled his eyes before joining in.

Once our laughing had subsided he cleared his throat and added, "One of the worst dates ever."

"Even worse than the girl with the doll collection?" I asked fighting to keep a straight face as the fond memory sprang into my head.

Evan coming to my house one night freaked out after a date and telling me the story of the room filled with dolls of all kinds. Barbies, figurines, baby dolls and creepy ancient porcelain ones all lining the walls of her room. His horror-struck face was hilarious that night. He had run out of there without even giving her an excuse. It was a date that had made it to the top of his bad dates list and was still yet to be outdone.

"Okay, no. Not that bad, thankfully. But still not an experience I care to repeat."

Sniggering slightly at his reaction I continued to poke, wondering what was so bad an hour this date. "So come on, spill, what happened?"

Evan groaned, placing his coffee cup on the nearby table.

"Don't make me relive it please."

"But that's the best bit! Hearing all the new things I can tease you about for the next week." I smirked as he cocked his brow.

"Yeah, I think I'll skip giving you any more ammo to use against me. You already have enough to fill an entire armoury."

He wasn't wrong. Being friends for as long as we have, we each have accumulated plenty of embarrassing stories and memories to torture each other with. But hey, it's what friends do... What we do.

"Spoilsport." I groaned as Evan let out his familiar warm laugh.

"Roxy?" A voice called from the hall.

"You didn't tell me your hook up was still here," Evan whispered a book of pure glee flashing across his face.

I'd totally forgotten about Dylan. Throwing a cushion at Evans overly happy face I stood up and pulled the living room door open. Dylan was standing there, now fully dressed, his hair still messed up slightly and his blue eyes fixed on me.

"I wondered where you'd gotten to." He smiled moving closer to me, placing one hand on the edge of the door frame and leaning forward. "Was hoping for a little bit of a better way to wake up this morning," he said, his voice was low and dripping with the suggestion. Before I even had a chance to reply Evan joined me in the doorway.

"Do you think he's referring to breakfast in bed?" Evan chimed in.

Dylan looked taken aback as he straightened up and distanced himself from me. The move was fast and rather funny to witness. He cleared his throat. His eyes flying between me and Evan as his brain did it's best to judge the situation in front of him and try to figure out if there was any reason to panic.

"Don't worry, you're safe man." Evan laughed casually leaning against the door. "I'm not her boyfriend. I think it's safe to say that if I were, you'd be sporting a black eye and a few missing teeth by now." Evan has him a small wink before making his way past me towards the kitchen.

I had to fight the laugh that was dying to escape at the awkward expression now on Dylan's face as he watched Evan's retreating form. As the kitchen door clicked closed he turned back to me.

"So that's your?"

"That's Evan. That's all you need to know." I shrugged.

I wasn't about to play the reassurance card with him. We don't owe each other anything it was just some fun. Simple as. Now it's time to get rid. He looked slightly taken aback for a moment before composing himself and giving a small chuckle.

"Okay, well I best get going. See you around I hope." He leant forwards and brushed his lips against my cheek before turning and leaving through the front door. Sighing I headed the other direction making my way to the kitchen.

"He's gone already?"

"Thankfully. "

Swinging the fridge door open I grabbed the carton of orange juice and a glass from the cupboard. Pouring a large glass, I settled on the bar stool by the counter as Evan threw a few slices of bread in the toaster. Once it was done, he placed some on a plate and skidded it across the counter towards me. The hot toast was welcoming to my still rumbling stomach.

"Could've sworn. I'd seen that one before," he said taking a seat at the kitchen table and taking a bite of toast.

"Yeah, I met him last week at the club and we hooked up." I shrugged. Evan raised his eyebrows in response.

"And you went back for seconds, that's unusual. The guy must be good."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I winked placing my plate in the sink.

Before I could say another thing, the sound of my phone ringing filled the room. Reaching over to the table, I groaned as I read the caller ID on display... Mom.