Page 7 of Unleashing Chaos
“You’re stunning, Desi. Absolutely stunning.”
Now my face is on fire, and I’m not sure what to say to that. No one has ever said something so sweet to me, and when I think of the things I’d want to hear from a man . . .
That would be one of them.
I realize too late that I still haven’t responded, and I finally say, “Thank you, Cannon. That’s kind of you.”
He shrugs and pushes his bowl to the center of the countertop. “It’s true. Not to mention I understand what it’s like to have parents who have high expectations for you. My dad puts a lot of pressure on me as well. Sometimes I feel like whatever I do it isn’t good enough for him.”
“Finding a husband is the only difficult thing my father has ever asked of me. I hate feeling like I’m letting him down.”
He taps my phone. “Unlock the screen.” I do and watch as he goes through a series of steps before a new icon pops up. “That’s the most popular dating app. Just follow the instructions and you will be all set to peruse the internet for a date.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. See you in the morning, Desi.”
“Night, Cannon.”
I sigh and get to my feet, pick up our dishes, and rinse them before putting them in the dishwasher, grumbling the whole time because I want to use my power. But it’s still too soon. What if Jace comes out of his office? He’d hit the ceiling and then I’d definitely be out on my ass.
With that grueling task done, I settle back on the couch under my blanket and follow the instructions to set up my profile. It isn’t long before I’m swiping right for guys who interest me. Most of the men I swipe right on return the gesture, which is a good sign.
For at least an hour I repeat this process, and before bedtime, I have a date set up for tomorrow night. I can’t keep a goofy smile from spreading over my face. This is happening far faster than I could’ve hoped.
When I check the time, it’s well past midnight, and my yawns are becoming more frequent. I stand up and reach for the blanket, but I can’t help myself. I study the room as I hold my breath, listening for any indication that one of my roommates is coming this way. After waiting several seconds to make sure I won’t get caught, I grin and curl my finger toward the blanket. The fabric swoops through the air, and I watch with satisfaction as it drapes itself over the arm of the couch.
My phone pings with another message from the dating app. I snatch it up, hoping it’s not my date for tomorrow canceling already.
It isn’t. It’s a new, totally sexy guy I’d swiped right on, and the message is short.
Hey Desi. You’re really gorgeous. Just wondering, are you DTF?
DTF? What does that mean? Racking my brain, I come up empty. I crane my neck up the stairs and see Cannon’s light is off. I know he has to work early, so I don’t want to bother him.
But Jace’s light is still shining under the door down the hall.
Maybe he’s working. Or playing more video games. Either way, he’s still awake, and I need to know what this message means before I answer. I make my way down the hall and tap lightly on the door.
“Come in.”
I crack it open and peek my head inside. Jace is seated behind a desk with a very large computer screen on top. His back is to a wall of shelves adorned with figurines of aliens, warriors, and superheroes. In the center of all his toys is a wooden sign with sharp-edged lettering that reads aftermath designs. The rusted steel wall across from him houses a television, with a fire burning underneath. Two leather chairs sit across from his desk, but don’t look as if they’ve ever been sat in. But it is the wall at the far end of the room that takes my breath away. A floor-to-ceiling window looks into the backyard, where the pool is lit in shades of purple and blue.
He looks up in surprise, his eyes wide behind his glasses. “What’s up?”
I slide the rest of the way inside and let the door click shut behind me, then cross over to his desk and lean on the back of one of the chairs.
“Umm, well, I just got a message from a guy on the dating app I downloaded earlier.”
“A suitor already?” he asks, sarcasm lacing his voice.
“Uh, yeah, for tomorrow, but this message is from a different guy. Anyway, he said something to me, and I don’t know what it means. I was hoping you could help.”
“Okay, what is it?” He doesn’t bother to look back up from his monitor. With one hand on his mouse, he clicks away at the keyboard with the other.
“He asked if I was ‘DTF.’ What does that mean?”
Jace jerks his head up and the room falls silent. He holds out his hand and gestures with two fingers for me to pass him my phone. I give it to him, and he aggressively types away with a disgusted look on his face.