“Why? You want an advance, don’t ya? To get your place?”
“Well, I don’t know. I haven’t even seen the place yet. Might not… It might not work out, and it seems too good to be true, and that’s not usually a good thing.”
“Definitely not.” He shakes his head. “Get yourself a roommate. Two or three even. Cram yourselves all in nice and cozy. That’s the best way. Too expensive to go it alone.”
“That’s what I gotta do,” I mutter, even as I start to wonder about Tyler and me getting a place. It wouldn’t be smart. Not at all. But still…
When my shift is over, I start to walk to school. I left my bike there after checking to make sure she was all right. Maybe not the smartest of ideas, but I’ve gotten used to walking around a lot. I like to think it helps me clear my head.
The door to a restaurant opens, and laughter spills out. I smile and keep on walking. At the next restaurant, violent banging on the window startles me. I look over to see the Mutineers.
It’s late, so late that it’s dark out. Why are they eating so late? They wave for me to join them, and I think about it and almost cave when, for whatever reason, I think of Georgie. That poor girl that Liam screwed up, all because of Brett. If Brett ever cared for her, why hasn’t he done anything for her? Why hasn’t he helped to spring her free?
My hesitation has my legs standing stock still, and that's enough time for Corey to exit the restaurant. Before I know it, he's dragging me inside and over to their table. Shane grabs a chair from another table, and they ask the waitress for a plate. They pitch in, and all give me some of their meals, and when I protest that I'm not hungry—even though I am—Corey tries to feed me.
“I’m not a baby,” I protest, laughing and taking the fork away from him.
“Eat up,” he says.
“Why? How much will I owe—”
“Nothing,” Brett says. “The entire bill has already been paid.”
“By whom?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer.
Although I worry this means that I’m starting to get in too deep with all of them, I take a bite. The food is incredible, and they’re basically giving me a tour of Italy because there’s lasagna, chicken carbonara, a seafood and pasta dish, and chicken parm. All of it is more delicious than the last.
“Man, I’m sure your girlfriends all love for you to take them here,” I say.
And it hits me like a thunderclap.
I know Brett just got out of a relationship, so I know he’s single, but the rest of them? Why would these four hot albeit screwed-up guys all be single?
“Trust me. I’ve gotten laid plenty of times after bringing a girl here,” Shane says.
“Not me,” I say, pointing at them all.
They all laugh.
As I ate, Corey kept giving me a glass. It looked like water, but it's not. It's white wine that's been poured into a water glass. I'm feeling it a little but not enough to even contemplate bedding one of them, let alone of all them.
“Why isn’t your girl here?” I ask Shane.
“We made a pact,” Brett says, leaning forward. “After everything… Best to just wait until college. Why break a girl’s heart?”
“You don’t want a girl. You want a woman,” I say.
“You got it,” he says with a wink. “Can’t put nothing past you.”
"A woman who has seen the world, who has some experience."
Corey grimaces. “Not all experiences are good.”
“Maybe it’s best not to lose hope,” I whisper.
“Hope.” He snorts and drinks the rest of the wine. “What the fuck is that?”