He’s obviously been drinking because he wobbles a little when I let go of him. “Yeah, Nick and I are going on a double date. Figured it was time to get my boy laid, you know?”
His words make me freeze.
Nick’s on a date? Here?
Across the bar, I spot him talking to a gorgeous brunette. She’s laughing and touching his arm, and he’s smiling down at her.
Ugh, I feel sick.
I press a hand to my stomach, hating that I care. Out of all the bars and restaurants in town, why did he and Jinxy have to come here tonight? If they’d just gone somewhere else, I never would’ve known about his date.
“I thought… I thought he had a girlfriend? Larissa?”
“That ended a while back.” Holding out his hand, he gives me a crooked smile. “You wanna go say hi?”
I shake my head. “That’s okay. I don’t want to interrupt.”
“Who ya here with?”
I point to our table. “My roommate Paige, her friend Baylee, and some friends of Paige’s boyfriend.”
“I forgot that you’re Paige’s roommate. She’s a great cheerleader.”
“She’s awesome.” I fidget, not knowing what else to say. “Well, have a nice time tonight.”
He waggles his bushy brows. “Oh, I plan to.”
Athletes are players, Abigail. When will you get that through your thick skull?
I rejoin my table and make an effort to talk to Dylan. He just graduated from UT and works at a bank. We have nothing in common, but he’s a nice guy, so I just smile and nod when he talks about investments.
Finally, I think we’re about to leave, but Paige wants to dance, so we head to the back hall where a band is playing. My eyes immediately find Nick and his date. He’s twirling her around to some country song, and her head falls back as she laughs.
This is good. Great, even. Nick swore he’d keep things professional with me, and he has. It’s not like anything ever happened between us, so I have no reason to feel butthurt.
Knowing he’s out there playing the field, “mingling” with girls, will help me move on.
I don’t know when I got so hung up on my boss that I now need to move on, but it is what it is.
So when a slow song starts and Dylan asks me to dance, I decide I’m not wallowing.
“I’d love to dance.”
He immediately steps on me. “Shit. Sorry.”
I laugh. “It’s okay. I have two left feet too, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
Dylan grins. “I like that you’re laid-back.”
“That’s me. Miss No Expectations.” Okay, that’s a fib because I was hoping we’d two-step, but he just pulls me close, and we sway. At least his spicy cologne is nice.
I like watching the couples around me. Some stare into each other’s eyes like they’re in love, and it’s swoony.
I want to be in love like that. I can now admit I didn’t have that with Ezra. There was always something elusive about him, but I just thought that’s how he was. Now I know it’s because he wasn’t ever fully committed.
As painful as that experience was, maybe I’m a little wiser now and won’t make the same mistakes again.
Afterward, the guys start talking again, completely ignoring the girls. I’m about to call an Uber when I spot a familiar face.
