Free Not Quite Perfect (Not Quite Series Book 5) by Catherine Bybee Page A

guilty ordering a whole one on my own.”
    Monica closed her eyes as she bit in. “Not as good as New York, but . . .”
    “Mmm, Chicago is still my favorite.”
    Monica added an enthusiastic nod.
    “Dakota and I were there for one of her conferences. We ordered a large, which on the right day we can put down. The waiter looked at us like we were crazy.”
    Monica stopped chewing so she could laugh.
    “I know. The pizza arrived and I looked at the guy . . . ‘dude, we ordered pizza.’”
    “How much did you get through?”
    “One slice. And that took serious effort.” The memory of the loaded Chicago style pizza with its one-inch thickness and sauce on top made her mouth water.
    “So . . .”
    Every conversation that started with the word so , in Mary’s experience, was the reason for the invite for lunch, cocktails . . . or dinner.
    “So?”
    “I understand Glen asked you out.”
    She wiped her mouth and set the slice aside. “Dakota told you.”
    Monica was quick to shake her head.
    “Glen?”
    She shook it again. “Trent. Who heard from his brother Jason. Who found out because Glen set aside a plane to fly back.”
    “Sounds like a long list.”
    “Not that long. They’re a tight-knit group. I don’t think either of them would have mentioned Glen dating anyone if they weren’t . . . I don’t know . . . excited to see where it goes.”
    Mary tried not to read into that. “I have to be honest,” she said. “Your brother-in-law drives me a little crazy.”
    “The Fairchild charm. I know. They all will, trust me.”
    “No, I mean . . .” What did she mean? “He challenges everything I say. Even that silly stuffed monkey he gave Dakota in the hospital. I saw it first, but he swiped it right from under me to give it to her.”
    Monica chuckled. “Sounds like Glen.”
    “And he’s a player. I know he’s a player.”
    “But you said yes to a date anyway.”
    Mary paused. “He is cute.”
    Monica lifted a brow.
    “Sexy. Okay . . . cute is for boys. Hot. And all those cocky parts are a bit of a turn-on if I were being honest.”
    “The Fairchild charm,” she said for the second time.
    “I don’t normally go for that kind of charm. I’m more reserved.” More like the girl who said yes to Mr. Accountant from the deli. “I’m probably going to regret it.”
    Monica picked up her pizza and waved it in the air. “Don’t regret it.”
    “What?”
    “Take the experience for what it’s worth but don’t regret trying something new. Yeah, it’s not your norm . . . but Glen isn’t a creepy-scary dude.”
    No, he wasn’t.
    “Whatever happens, don’t regret.” Monica set her pizza back down without taking a bite. “Here is the thing. We all know you. It’s not like he can casually date you, treat you like crap, and none of us hear the details. I mean . . . I like to think we’re friends.”
    “We are.”
    “And I’m super close to Walt and now Dakota. And you and Dakota are tight. So the grapevine is woven in ways none of us want to change.”
    Mary really hadn’t thought of it that way. “And if things aren’t cool between Glen and me, or get ugly . . .” She hated personal conflict. She could handle it in her professional life. But she had enough as a child and avoided it as an adult whenever possible. “Maybe I should cancel before anything gets—”
    “No! That’s not . . . no. Listen, I’m not going to deny that Glen has been a player. But I haven’t heard of him being a jerk to the women in his life. And every player eventually calms down.”
    “Some pretend to calm down but still play.”
    Monica acknowledged her with a nod. “I’m not convinced that’s Glen. From what I’ve been told about his mom and dad . . . they instilled integrity in their marriage.”
    “I’m going on a first date, Monica. No one is talking about that kind of thing.”
    “So date. And unless there is a conversation about monogamy . . .”