“It was at McGill’s on Saturday night,” I begin, glancing between the two sets of eyes to make sure they’re paying attention. I can’t go through this again. This will be the only time they hear this story, and hopefully, the last time I remember it.
“I was talking to this girl, just . . . you know, doing what I usually do when I’m at McGill’s.” I shift a knowing look between them. They’re both familiar with my weekend strategy. “Then out of nowhere, Molly walks in, and I completely freeze up.”
“Did you talk to her?” Mia asks, taking a sip of her drink.
I laugh through a slight shake of my head, then pinch the top of my nose as the memory of what happened next stirs wildly inside me. “Yeah,” I answer through a strained voice. I decide to skip some parts of the story and get this shit over with. My hand falls to my lap and I look between the two of them. “We talked. She’s engaged. I got the hell out of there.”
Engaged. Unfuckingbelievable.
Confusion passes between the two of them as I shoot the rest of my milk like it’s goddamn whiskey.
Ah, yeah. That’s better. Sweet dairy. Really helps take the edge off.
“She’s engaged?” Tessa questions doubtfully, with a tinge of jealousy coating her words. “What idiot would want to marry that cumdumpster?”
“Tessa, seriously?” Mia covers Nolan’s ears, keeping Chase tucked against her, but I don’t think Nolan’s heard anything. He’s too engrossed in the giant hammer he’s trying to form out of the pizza dough.
Nice.
“Could you fucking not?” Mia whispers through a clenched jaw.
“Sorry! But what the h, Luke?” Tessa turns to me after exchanging a smile with Mia and pointing at her bare ring finger. “Well, what did you say? You said you two talked. What did you talk about?”
“Honestly? She talked. I didn’t say much of anything.”
I didn’t need to. My girlfriend did all the talking.
Shit. Don’t call her that. Don’t even think about her. Leave her ass out of this story.
“Wait a minute.” Tessa voice cuts into my head, a look of disbelief etched on her face. She points a finger at me. “You’re leaving something out.”
“No, I’m not,” I counter, turning my glass over and setting it on the table. I look across the restaurant in the direction of the kitchen.
Where’s the fucking pizza? Tessa wouldn’t be this chatty if food was involved.
“Yes, you are,” Mia agrees, nodding. She pulls something out of the bag sitting next to her and holds it in Chase’s mouth for him to suck on. “You’re being defensive,” she continues. “And you just slammed your milk like we’re actually at McGill’s. Something else happened.”
I shake my head and keep my gaze cast down at the table. I’m not giving them anything else. I’ve told them enough. Confiding in them any more will only do more harm than good.
“What happened with the girl?”
Shit. Motherfucking FUCK.
I don’t look up at Mia. “What girl?” I ask, coolly. Calmly. Completely in control.
It’s at that exact moment I realize the universe hates me. That if there is a God, she must be a chick who I screwed over at some point or another.
The front door chimes, and I glance up, locking onto the stunner who walks in to officially ruin my life.
Wearing a faded Eric Clapton T-shirt, ripped jean shorts hanging low on her hips, and Dr. Martens covered in colorful flowers, I take my first real look at the body I’ve spanked, sucked, and fucked in my head over the past three days, and my dick hardens so fast, you’d think she was wearing nothing but those fucking boots.
Fuck. Now I just gave myself another image to jerk off to later. Like I needed anymore variety.
“Reed. The girl . . . hello?”
I hear Tessa, but every part of me is focused on Beth as she walks up to the counter, oblivious to my presence.
Christ, what is she wearing and why the fuck is that doing shit to me? I mean the shorts, yeah, I’m fucking loving the shorts. She’s tiny, but she’s all fucking leg in those things. But Clapton and Dr. Martens? Why the fuck is that so sexy?”
Beth leans further against the counter, tilting her ass into the air. My entire body goes stiff before I drop my head against the table with a barely audible groan.
“What’s going on?” Mia asks, sounding confused.
I keep my head down, clamp my eyes shut, and get through this confession as quickly as possible.
“The girl I was talking to at the bar, that’s her. At the counter.”
I hear movement, no doubt Mia shuffling Chase around to get a good look.