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For a moment my world levels back out as I think about the viability of that option He’s a generous guy, so et any further than basic supposition, Tori continues, "But I’m pretty sure we both know that’s a bunch of bull The other option--and personally, it’s the one I’ me her version of the evil eye, "is that a lot more happened at work today than you told me about If that’s the case, then you’re a bitch And the only way I’ll be persuaded to forgive you is if you sit down right noith me--and these really delectable strawberries--and tell "

I know I don’t haveatwith the et to the part where he actually makes me my smoothie I leave out the rest--about how I drank that noxious blueberry thing--because I still don’t knohy I did it Nor do I kno I feel about the fact that I did it

Tori’s spellbound by rew up in the most elite circles the West Coast has to offer, and as such is privy to all the inside gossip I don’t have a clue about My family entered the world of the rich and notorious late, very late, and they did it in Boston, where it’s a whole different ga to anyossip about the East Coast elite, either Which is exactly how I like it

"You knoas hilass of cha lass and the look of disapproval she sends me tells me she’s noticed that fact "It had to be"

I hope not God, I really hope not Because if Juice Guy really is Ethan Frost…If he really is, then I’d spentwith ht bogglesfamiliar about him, but I’d put it down to the fact that he looked like half the surfers in California It had never occurred to o when I’d applied for the internship, had seen pictures of hi like the Ethan Frost I re in those photos I mean, yes, he has blue eyes and dark hair, but…oh, shit It really could be him

"There’s one way to find out for sure" Tori, who seems determined to make me lose it, picks up her tablet from the coffee table where she abandoned it earlier

Two es, nearly all of which are paparazzi shots of Ethan Frost Who is very definitely also Juice Guy Only he looks nothing like the surf bum I met earlier today In most of the pictures he’s dressed in expensive suits or tuxedos, his black hair neatly styled and his tattoo completely covered In others he looks ner jeans and sweaters with rugged, expensive boots

It’s obviously hio eyes Same sculpted cheekbones and chiseled jaw Sa eyelashes are the same

And still I don’t want to believe it Because if it is him, then I am totally, utterly screwed

I spend the next hour searching through dozens of pages, thousands of ies--some of them show him with beautifulspeeches or getting awards--before I find what I’ for A picture of hi a surfboard under one arht-pack?) dripping with seawater, the blue-and-black shoulder tattoo of tribal waves I only saw hints of earlier on glorious display His hair ishis forehead and part of his face--and he’s s A real smile, not like the one he wears in so many of the pap pictures It’s the sa withwith his eyes crinkled up at the corners, and it convinces

Juice Guy, this surf bum, and the visionary CEO of Frost Industries are all the sauy My boss’s boss’s boss’s boss Aweso the juice bar had nearly sed his tongue I’d feel bad for bringing him so close to cardiac arrest, except it would have been nice if he’d actually said so He didn’t have to do a lot He could have just called hiotten the hint instead of continuing to stand there and hu?" Tori asks when she finally looks up fro? Are you kidding me? It’s a miracle he didn’t fire me this afternoon!"

"Fire you? For what?"

"Oh, I don’t know Insubordination,out--I rest ure out what I’ize for being a bitch? Or do I just pretend it never happened? I could send hiy letter, maybe Or--

My roo with a snort "Give me a break It wasn’t insubordination if you didn’t knoho he hich, clearly, you didn’t Besides, he obviously wasn’t angry with you or you would have gotten a letter canceling your internship instead of that awesome blender And these strawberries" She pops another one into her ht ofcanceled makes me freak out more I need this internship I have to have it It’ll help ive me the references I need to put the next phase of my life plan into action

And,to ask h h ees that I don’t return--but I don’t want their guiltfro-stones, one of the keys, that will ensure I never have to take anything fro to hyperventilate I lean forward and putdeep breaths as the rooo dark

"Jesus, Chloe" Tori leans over, smacks the back of my head "Don’t do that None of this is your fault"

It feels likeat pictures of Ethan Frost instead of just poring over journal articles about his ies, his acconized him and all this could have been avoided I still wouldn’t have taken more than a sip of that stupid sracefully than I did

"Seriously, Chloe, you need to chill!" Tori grabs me by the shoulders, shakes ry ued by you, not annoyed"

I want to dispute her words, but for a moment--just a moment--I can see the look on his face when he realized I was hungry The expression in his eyes when he put the Hawaiian Sunrise smoothie in front of me The way he held himself when I took a sip of his stupid Ethan Special, the name of which suddenly ht

"He gave you his number," she continues "He wants to date you, not fire you" She claps her hands "This is aweso chased by Ethan Frost!"

She’s so wrapped up in her own excitement that she doesn’t notice my lack of enthusiasm I don’t want to burst her bubble, but if this is true, it’s even worse for ry at me Because I don’t want to date Ethan Frost I want to work for hiainst him per se It’s just that I don’t want to date anyone

Oh, Tori’s been after uy and do the fun hanging-out thing She’s even set me up on numerous blind dates--without my permission--then not told et out of theet it She doesn’t know that I don’t want to go out with a guy I don’t want to casually date And I sure as hell don’t want a relationship

Just the thoughtadvertisement for what not to do, and my own past--the past Tori knows very little about-- I want to do is deal with being pursued by a man like Ethan Frost All that ht makes my stomach pitch and roll

She reaches for the card, which has been resting--discarded--on the table for the past hour "You should totally call him"

I look at her like she’s insane Which I’ to call him"