No. No, I didn’t. I was perfectly fine sitting across from Gus. The animal hating, non-cursing, zero social media engaging, piano-playing banker.
“Is that his new girlfriend?”
My head jerked back to Gus. “What?”
He motioned with his head over toward Anson and Lanny. “Is that his girlfriend?”
“Ah…”
How should I answer a question like that? If I said she was his assistant, it would make it appear that I followed every little detail of his life. If I said I didn’t know, then it would make it seem like I had been watching them because I was jealous.
“I’m not entirely sure.”
He nodded. “Would you like to go say hi?”
“No! God, no,” I replied with a chuckle. “I would like to pretend he’s not even there.”
A faint smile appeared on Gus’s face. “That’s going to be hard to do when you keep looking over there.”
My gaze met his. “Direct, aren’t you, Gus?”
He shrugged then took a drink of his water. “I think we both realize we have nothing in common, Bristol. I think you’re a beautiful woman. You intrigued me, that’s why I asked you out.”
I reached across the table and squeezed his hand in mine. “I agree with you a hundred percent. You’re very handsome, but I don’t think we have much in common either.”
He winked and then nodded. “Should we blow off dinner then and head to my place or yours?”
I tilted my head and leaned forward some. “Um, why would we do that?” I asked with a confused laugh.
“Sex. This is all about sex now, right? I want you. I’m assuming you want me. The next obvious question is where would you like to have sex?”
I dropped back in my seat and stared at him. I wasn’t sure how many times my mouth opened and closed in an attempt to speak. Or how many expressions went across my face. But he sat there and patiently waited for me to work it all out.
“Let me get this straight, Gus. We have nothing in common, therefore we’ll never go on a date again. Yet, you want me to go home with you and sleep together?”
He smiled. “Just because we don’t have anything in common doesn’t mean we can’t share a nice evening together.”
“I’m honestly trying to figure out if I want to slap you or go home with you and see if your dick is as big as your head.”
Gus grinned. “I’m happy to show you. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
I took my napkin off my lap and set it on the table. Then I plastered on the best smile I could and looked my date square in the eyes.
“You, my friend, need a fucking cell phone because clearly you spend too much time alone with your dick. I’ve lost my appetite. Enjoy your evening, and from this point on, I think I’ll be using the drive-thru at the bank.”
I stood and grabbed my purse. When I started to walk off, I couldn’t help but glance over at Anson’s table. He looked up at me and frowned, then looked back toward dickhead Gus.
It was decided. I was swearing off men forever.
Bristol
“NO. WAIT! WHAT?”
I nodded and took a sip of wine as I sat curled up in a chair on Mindy’s back porch.
“He wanted to go back to your place and have sex?”
“Or his place. He probably would have taken me in the bathroom, simply to make it easier and more efficient so he could get back to the painting he was working on in his free time.”
Mindy lost it laughing. “What in the living hell is wrong with men?”
I sighed. “I don’t know, but if you figure it out, let me know, will you?”
Mindy shook her head and let out her own sigh. “I swear, the only normal, decent guy I know is your brother.”
I lifted my glass up to the heavens. “I’ll drink to that.”
“What about Anson showing up at the restaurant?”
Turning, I stared at her. I hadn’t told her about Anson being at the restaurant. “How did you know he showed up there? I hadn’t mentioned that part yet.”
Her hand paused as she lifted her tea to her mouth. “You said he was there.”
My eye twitched. “No, I never mentioned anything about Anson being there.”
She peeked over her glass and smiled. “Must have heard it from someone else.”
“Gossip spreads fast in this town, I’ll give you that. But not that fast. Spill it, Mindy. It wasn’t just a coincidence we were at the same place for dinner, was it?”
She set her glass down, crossed her legs, and gave me a megawatt smile. “Fine! Fine! You dragged it out of me! I’ll tell you already!”
I lifted my brows. She was practically bursting at the seams to spill the tea. “I barely asked you anything.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to badger me. My God! It was Ida! She called with this plan of hers. I couldn’t turn her down. She offered me apple streusel. Bristol, you know how much I love her apple streusel.”