Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 90682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Duke was right. Brian is a fuck boy.
Deep down inside, I knew Duke was right, but I didn’t want to admit it—at least, not to him.
Not out loud, anyway.
God, I hate myself for being on this date.
What’s worse, the other guests at the bar and grill are looking at us as if they know it’s our first date and think it’s so romantic that we’re just getting to know each other. One woman keeps glancing over at us and smiling at her husband, tapping him on the forearm and pointing as she does it.
It’s nauseating.
I don’t want anyone to think that I am with him with him.
I glance at the time.
It’s been forty-five minutes, and at this point, I’m justified in heading for the hills. It’s for my mental health!
I yawn for good measure.
And when the server comes over to check on us, I tell her I’m good and don’t need anything else.
“You’re not going to have another one?”
I look down at the beer in his hand, wondering how many he’s had since he got here.
“Nope, I’m good.” I pick up my purse, tucking it back beneath my arm. “Actually, I’m really tired and have to get up early tomorrow.”
“Early? It’s Sunday.” Brian laughs.
“Yeah, there’s a flea market I’m going to with a friend, and we wake up at five.” The lie slips off my tongue.
“You couldn’t pay me to wake up at five.”
“That’s why you’re not invited along,” I tease, anxious to get the hell out of this place.
“Oh come on now.” His hand touches my arm. “Are you going to at least invite me over for a nightcap?”
I shrug him off. “Er. Ha ha.” I’m so nervous right now I could barf on his shoes. “I hadn’t planned on it.”
Brian hops up off his stool. “Let me walk you to your car.”
He doesn’t put his hand on me or put his hand around my shoulder—thank God—but he’s walking close to me, invading my personal space.
I can’t wait to tell the girls about this one: Brian from high school is gross, big shocker.
The parking lot is too dark for my liking. Only a few lights off to the side of the lot illuminate the area, but I’m grateful I got a good spot next to the building.
I unlock it so the sidelights glow, giving me more light.
“Well. It was good catching up,” I lie again ’cause it wasn’t. I barely had a chance to talk, let alone update him on anything going on in my life, which is fine. Who cares? I don’t need this jerk to know anything about me anyway.
Brian leans against my car. “You sure you’re done for the night?”
Ew.
“Yup,” I pop the ‘P,’ irritated. I said what I said, and I’m not changing my mind, no matter how insistent he is that we carry on with the evening.
“Can I at least get a kiss?”
A kiss?
“Um.” I stall. “How about a hug instead?”
Brian laughs, pushing himself off my car, coming over to hug me.
And hug me.
And hug me.
When I pull away, he grabs me again, lifting me off the ground to carry me.
I swat at him until my feet hit the ground.
He laughs.
—until he’s not laughing at all.
“You think that’s funny, asshole?”
Brian’s feet are hanging off the ground by feet, not inches the way mine were, Duke’s powerful arms wrapped around his waist as he hoists him up.
My hand instantly flies to my mouth in shock. Shock, I say!
“Oh my God, Duke.” The words come flying out of my mouth before I can stop them. The sight of my roommate holding my date off the ground has me completely shell-shocked.
Decked out in his “disguise”—wig, hat, sunglasses, and all—Duke isn’t hurting Brian, but he’s caught him off guard. And from the looks of him, Brian is not happy.
“Put me down, you motherfucker,” he curses, kicking his legs like a little kid.
“Ah, ah, ah—be nice,” Duke coos in his ear. “I watched you mishandlin’ Ms. Kettner from my car and thought you might like a taste of your own medicine.” He pauses. “Were you plannin’ on walkin’ off with her?”
“No! I was saying goodbye,” Brian lies. “Who the fuck is this, Posey? Tell him to put me down.”
He needs me to tell Duke to release him?
Duke and I both ignore Brian.
“Go hop in my car, Pose. It’s the burgundy Buick.”
My eyes scan the parking lot and I find a familiar-looking Buick parked in the corner, in direct sight of my own vehicle.
Is that…?
Could it be…?
Mrs. Galvin’s old sedan?
“Go on now,” Duke tells me again, still holding Brian in the air as if he weighs nothing. “Just gonna have a word with Dating App Brian.”
Oh Jesus.
Slowly, I walk to my neighbor's burgundy, thirty-year-old classic and open the passenger seat door. I slide in but leave the door open.
I want to see the show and hear it too.