on Sunday…I just assumed…”
“No, well, it was just…” She sighed, and decided to be honest. “Jake and I are just friends. He was just trying to help me get your attention.”
His handsome face broke into a wide grin. “I’m flattered that you thought I was worth so much effort.”
“I’m guessing that means you aren’t interested,” she asked, just trying to confirm.
“I was…I mean…” He ran his hand through his hair. “I’ve been in this pretty dysfunctional on again off again relationship, and it’s kind of…”
“On again?” She offered, her hopes dashed with his confirming nod.
“Yeah. I’m sorry. You just seem like a nice woman and I know you’re in a tough spot…”
“It’s okay, Jay. Thank you for being honest with me,” she said, trying to control the shakiness of her voice, mentally thinking of who else was left.
No one. You went out with the top choices, and the rest were either too old, too young, or in the “hell no” category.
“Hey, good luck okay,” he said, and she dumbly mumbled a good-bye, waving at Jamie as she passed. She didn’t want anyone to see her frustrated tears as she left the office and raced to her truck. She was in desperate need of a beer.
Rand walked int o The Watering Hol e , straightening the skirt of the black dress she’d found in her grandmother’s box. It was off the shoulder with a tight bodice and a flowing skirt. She’s left her hair down and wavy, but in lieu of heels, she’d worn her black flats.
She saw Red by the bar and when he glanced her way, she gave him a little wave. At first, he got this really dopey grin and then his eyes bulged out and his mouth dropped. Leaving his beer on the bar, he walked over to her, letting out a rather loud, “Holy hell!”
“Is that good or bad?” Rand nervously looking around the bar.
“It’s good. You’re…” His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat. “Jake’s a lucky guy.”
Rand laughed. “Jake and I were just pretending to be dating. He thought it would be a way to get Jay to notice me, but turns out, he’s not interested. So here I am, back to square one, trying to pick up a man in a bar.”
“Wait, you two were faking,” Red asked, and she nodded. “It looked real to me.”
“Nope. All an act. We were going to tell you, but Jake thought your expression was hilarious.”
“Yeah I bet,” he said, his eyebrows lowered in a scowl.
Maybe she had lost her mind (or just all hope) but she reached out and wrapped her arms around Red’s waist, looking up at him with fluttering lashes. “Oh come on. Don’t be sore. Remember that time you and I convinced Jake that Warren Duffy had been the one to hot-wire his truck and put it in the field? He was so mad at us after Warren popped him one.”
She had surprised him, hopefully in a good way. She was new to this flirting business, but if she was going to lose her life and livelihood, she might as well lose her mind too.
Finally, Red’s arm wrapped around her waist and he squeezed her. “Want a beer?”
“Yep. I would very much like a beer right now,” Rand answered, letting him lead her over to the bar.
“Hey Rand,” Wilson Taylor called to her as they approached. He let out a low whistle, his hazel eyes twinkling. “You look real good.”
Why hadn’t she thought of Wilson? He was good looking, one of the good guys in town, and drove into the city during the week for work.
“Thanks, Wilson,” she said, giving him a wide friendly smile.
When he smiled back, she noticed the tell-tale bulge in his lip where his dip had been stuffed.
Which wouldn’t have phased her two weeks ago when she was still thinking about marrying a man and living platonically. But now that she’d been kissed…
Maybe she only liked kissing with Jake because they were friends ? Her gaze shifted to Red as he ordered their beers . Would she like Red’s kisses?
Red handed her the bottle of Bud and tapped the neck of his to
“No, well, it was just…” She sighed, and decided to be honest. “Jake and I are just friends. He was just trying to help me get your attention.”
His handsome face broke into a wide grin. “I’m flattered that you thought I was worth so much effort.”
“I’m guessing that means you aren’t interested,” she asked, just trying to confirm.
“I was…I mean…” He ran his hand through his hair. “I’ve been in this pretty dysfunctional on again off again relationship, and it’s kind of…”
“On again?” She offered, her hopes dashed with his confirming nod.
“Yeah. I’m sorry. You just seem like a nice woman and I know you’re in a tough spot…”
“It’s okay, Jay. Thank you for being honest with me,” she said, trying to control the shakiness of her voice, mentally thinking of who else was left.
No one. You went out with the top choices, and the rest were either too old, too young, or in the “hell no” category.
“Hey, good luck okay,” he said, and she dumbly mumbled a good-bye, waving at Jamie as she passed. She didn’t want anyone to see her frustrated tears as she left the office and raced to her truck. She was in desperate need of a beer.
Rand walked int o The Watering Hol e , straightening the skirt of the black dress she’d found in her grandmother’s box. It was off the shoulder with a tight bodice and a flowing skirt. She’s left her hair down and wavy, but in lieu of heels, she’d worn her black flats.
She saw Red by the bar and when he glanced her way, she gave him a little wave. At first, he got this really dopey grin and then his eyes bulged out and his mouth dropped. Leaving his beer on the bar, he walked over to her, letting out a rather loud, “Holy hell!”
“Is that good or bad?” Rand nervously looking around the bar.
“It’s good. You’re…” His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat. “Jake’s a lucky guy.”
Rand laughed. “Jake and I were just pretending to be dating. He thought it would be a way to get Jay to notice me, but turns out, he’s not interested. So here I am, back to square one, trying to pick up a man in a bar.”
“Wait, you two were faking,” Red asked, and she nodded. “It looked real to me.”
“Nope. All an act. We were going to tell you, but Jake thought your expression was hilarious.”
“Yeah I bet,” he said, his eyebrows lowered in a scowl.
Maybe she had lost her mind (or just all hope) but she reached out and wrapped her arms around Red’s waist, looking up at him with fluttering lashes. “Oh come on. Don’t be sore. Remember that time you and I convinced Jake that Warren Duffy had been the one to hot-wire his truck and put it in the field? He was so mad at us after Warren popped him one.”
She had surprised him, hopefully in a good way. She was new to this flirting business, but if she was going to lose her life and livelihood, she might as well lose her mind too.
Finally, Red’s arm wrapped around her waist and he squeezed her. “Want a beer?”
“Yep. I would very much like a beer right now,” Rand answered, letting him lead her over to the bar.
“Hey Rand,” Wilson Taylor called to her as they approached. He let out a low whistle, his hazel eyes twinkling. “You look real good.”
Why hadn’t she thought of Wilson? He was good looking, one of the good guys in town, and drove into the city during the week for work.
“Thanks, Wilson,” she said, giving him a wide friendly smile.
When he smiled back, she noticed the tell-tale bulge in his lip where his dip had been stuffed.
Which wouldn’t have phased her two weeks ago when she was still thinking about marrying a man and living platonically. But now that she’d been kissed…
Maybe she only liked kissing with Jake because they were friends ? Her gaze shifted to Red as he ordered their beers . Would she like Red’s kisses?
Red handed her the bottle of Bud and tapped the neck of his to
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