Surviving Slater - Loving Bad Series (Sample of Published Book)

Chapter 4 - Part 1

When Friday night arrived, I was busy getting ready in my room. Sin and Taylor were cuddled up on the couch, watching a movie. It was nice to see them together all loved up and happy. If anyone deserved to be happy it was them.

Seeing Sin was another reminder of Slater. I had tried unsuccessfully at keeping him out of my thoughts. But I was determined. I was going to find the 'right' outfit and I was going to go out and have a nice date with Steven. There was no room for Slater.

I still had no idea where we were going for our date so I decided to wear a pair of black skinny jeans with black shoes that weren't too high. After a few minutes of going through my tops, I decided on a red one that dipped low at the back and would show off my back.

I didn't go overboard with my makeup. I put a little mascara on, just enough to highlight my long thick eyelashes that framed my eyes, which I'd been told on more than one occasion were my best feature.

There was a knock at the door but I wasn't finished getting ready yet. A quick glance at my phone told me Steven was punctual; I was the one running late.

I walked out of my room in time to see Sin open the door. Sin was intimidating but Steven didn't seem too fazed when his eyes met mine over Sin's shoulder. He smiled appreciatively at me.

"Sorry, I'm running late," I told him as Sin reluctantly stepped to the side to allow my date inside.

"No problem. I can wait," he assured me as he walked into the living room and took an open seat.

Sin gave me a strange look before he sat back down beside Taylor.

Needing to hurry up because I was worried Sin would say something, I quickly smeared some lipstick on and I put on some simple earrings my mother had bought me for my last birthday.

Conversation flowed in the living room. I could hear Taylor talking but it was the sound of Sin's voice that made me hurry. I took just enough time to give myself one sweep of my reflection in the mirror before I left my room.

The conversation stopped as Steven rose to his feet when he saw me.

"The wait was worth it," he told me. His eyes swept over me. I smiled, but out of the corner of my eye I saw the way Sin studied him.

He was Slater's best friend but I had no idea how much they shared when it came to girls and stuff like that. Did he know what had happened between the two of us? Would he tell Slater about the guy I was currently dating? Would Slater care? Probably not.

My stomach twisted for a moment but I refused to allow it to affect me. Slater had made his choice and he had to live with it. And I had to move on.

"Let's go," I said, wanting to get Steven away from Sin's glare.

My date said goodbye to Taylor and Sin. Sin only gave him a slight inclination of his head beside Taylor, who gave him a friendly smile.

"Have fun!" she said.

"I will," I said before I left the apartment, closing the door behind me.

Steven and I walked to the elevator side by side.

"I don't think Sin likes me much," he said.

I had hoped it wouldn't be that obvious but if Steven was going to stay in my life, even if things didn't get too serious, he would need to know about Slater and Sin. It would just make things easier to understand.

I bit my lip as the elevator door opened and we stepped inside.

"I kind of had a brief fling with his best friend." There—it was out. Steven studied me for a moment, his hands shoved into the pocket of his jeans.

"And?" he asked, prompting me for more.

I shrugged as I leaned against the wall.

"Nothing. It finished really before it even began."

"Okay." It seemed to explain Sin's behavior.

When the door opened on the bottom floor, he took my hand in his. I allowed him to lead me to his car. It was expensive, and the smell of leather hit me when he opened the door and I slid inside.

The last time he had taken me out he had taken me to an expensive restaurant. The food had been great. I was curious to see where we were headed tonight.

"So what have you got planned for tonight?" I asked as he got into the driver's seat.

"It's a surprise. Something a little different."

I didn't like surprises but I didn't question him again. He wasn't as formally dressed as the last time we'd gone out so we were probably not going somewhere fancy.

On our first date I had learned his family was well off. It wasn't that he bragged about it but it was hard to miss with the expensive car and clothes. After college he would be going into the family business, which was property development and other things.

When he had asked me about myself it hadn't been easy to admit my upbringing had been very different, with only a single mother to support me. My grandfather, whom I had been quite close to, had died a year before I finished high school and had left me some money. It hadn't been a lot but it had been enough to pay for college. My mom, to my surprise, had saved up some money, which had been enough to cover most of my tuition.

I had shared with him the fact that I was studying to be an accountant. Accountants were usually considered boring people but I loved math, and I always had. I was good at it, really good. To me, numbers were constant and logical, not affected by emotions or other outside factors. To me, they gave me the stability I had felt lacking in the absence of my father.

We pulled up outside a miniature golf place and I turned to him with a questioning look.

"It will be fun," he assured me confidently. I arched an eyebrow at him, unconvinced.

"If you don't, then you get to pick the venue for our next date," he offered. His smiled was disarming.

"Okay," I said, deciding to give him a chance.

He came around and opened the door for me.

"Have you ever played golf before?" he asked as we walked to the front office to pay.

"No. I don't know if I'll be any good," I admitted.

I hadn't been big on sports growing up. I'd been the academic type, preferring to spend time in books than sweating on a grass field.

"I'll teach you." He gave me that sexy, self-assured smile.

It was going to make for an interesting evening.

After he paid for the tickets and we both got a gold ball and putter, we walked to the first hole. He went first. It wasn't complicated but it took me a few tries to get the hang of it.

We talked as we walked from one hole to the next. His questions never got deep, and I liked that I could be around him without feeling threatened.

He would help me with a difficult shot, showing me where to stand and how to swing my putter. He stood behind me with his hands on my hips, shifting me slightly into place. I thought it was sometimes an excuse to be able to touch me. I didn't mind. His touch didn't set my heart racing but I still liked it. It felt safe; there was no risk.

By the end of the evening I was smiling.

"And?" he asked as he walked me back to the car. "Did you have fun?"

I smiled at him as he turned to see my response. "I have to admit, I did."

He stepped closer, and I lifted my eyes to his. His usually easy-going nature stilled as our eyes connected. I knew what was going to happen next and I welcomed it. But I couldn't stop the slight disappointment when his lips touched mine.