Free When Joss Met Matt by Ellie Cahill Page A

fire my assistant.” I laughed.
    He slid his tray out of the way and produced a pen and notebook from his backpack. “I’ll just give you the bullet points.”
    â€œGreat, thanks.”
    A few minutes later, Matt slid the notebook across to me. His handwriting was a testosterone-induced scrawl, but I could read it.
    Rules for Sorbet Sex
    1. You must spend the night with your Sorbet partner after Sorbet Sex occurs.
    2. You must remain friends afterward.
    3. You must harass your Sorbet partner the next day.
    â€œThat’s it?” I asked.
    He rolled his eyes. “Well, I can’t remember all the details off the top of my head.”
    â€œIs there anything in the contract about wearing devil horns?”
    â€œStrictly optional.”
    I laughed.
    â€œYou can keep this.” He tore the page out and handed it to me.
    â€œGreat. I’ll have my assistant laminate it.” I tucked it into my own backpack.
    â€œYou ready to get out of here?”
    â€œYeah, let’s go.” I collected my tray and followed Matt to the return conveyor. “So, wait—what was your second of all?”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?”
    â€œYou said ‘first of all, it was not like that.’ ” I snapped again. “What’s the second of all? Why is Princess Courtney making you all weird?”
    He dropped his tray onto the conveyor belt and sighed. “Never mind.”
    â€œOh, come on, what is it?”
    â€œYou’re not going to like it.”
    I felt my eyes light up. “Now you have to tell me.”
    He frowned, but still held the door for me as we headed for the wintery quad of the Southeast dorms. “Jeez, it’s cold,” he hissed. “Wanna get the bus?”
    â€œHell yeah. But you still have to tell me.”
    â€œShe’s hot, okay?” He kept his eyes down toward the pavement. “She’s really fucking hot.”
    It was true, but I couldn’t help cringing internally. Her Highness was hotter than I could ever hope to be, and she turned Matt into a shy, awkward mess. I, on the other hand, had never made anyone stammer, or even go for a second, slow look. You try and try to tell yourself that guys are interested in more than a pretty face. It’s never true.
    When I didn’t reply, he said, “I told you you weren’t going to like it.”
    â€œHey, the heart wants what it wants, right?” I paused. “Well, maybe it’s not your heart in this case, but you get what I’m saying.”
    â€œOh come on, give me a little more credit than that.”
    â€œI’m not the one thinking with my—” At the last moment I cut myself off. “My libido.”
    He laughed. “Nice recovery.”
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œAnd you can’t tell me that you’re not just as biased against her for the way she looks as I’m biased toward her.”
    I sighed. “I’m sure she’s delightful, Matty. I just wish she was a smidge nicer to you.”
    â€œMatty?” he echoed. I’d never called him by a nickname.
    â€œDon’t change the subject.”
    â€œYeah.” He sighed. “All right. I wish she was, too.”
    â€œYou sound like a battered wife.”
    He frowned at me. “You’ve made your point.”
    â€œI’m just saying—you’ve given your penis what it wants, maybe it’s time to give your soul a little TLC now.”
    He choked on a laugh. “You just kinda say whatever you’re thinking, don’t you?”
    â€œI guess I do.”
    â€œCan you maybe not? About this?”
    â€œAll right.” I held up my mittened hands in surrender. “But if you change your mind, I’m available for a reality check any time you’d like.”
    â€œI’ll have my secretary make a note.”

Chapter Nine
    Seven Years Earlier … Second Semester Freshman Year
    Rachel and I were watching