I try to catch her eye the rest of practice but she’s buried in that fucking book.
“You guys want to go to Pete’s?” Josh asks Colin and me as practice concludes. Pete’s Diner has cheap food and doesn’t always card when you order beer. It’s the popular hangout.
“I’m in,” I say.
Colin grumbles, “I have to take my sister to the library.”
“Bring her with,” Josh suggests. “She’s hot.”
Colin shoots daggers at him. “Shut the fuck up.”
“I’m just saying it like it is. Why are you driving Katie?” Josh asks. “She has a car.”
I look over my shoulder at Lauren. She closed her book and is coming toward us. My heart and my dick jump. Fuck, she’s beautiful.
“Not Katie,” Colin says. “Lauren.”Lauren.Funny he said her name the same time she makes eye contact with me. Colin turns around and sighs. “Speak of the devil.”
Wait, what? I look from him to Lauren, the girl I’m going to make mine someday.
No.
No, no, no. Lauren is his sister. Hisbabysister.
She will never be mine.
Chapter 1
LAUREN
Now...
ICHECK THE time on my phone and bite my lip, contemplating what to do. I take a deep breath and look around the restaurant, trying my hardest not to feel self-conscious about sitting alone—and about already finishing one glass of wine.
I shouldn’t be alone, though. But for the last fifteen minutes, I’ve sat here solo, stomach grumbling from the wonderful smell of Italian food being served around me, waiting for my date to show up. It’s not technically a blind date, since I’ve seen Gavin’s pictures before, but we’ve yet to meet in person. I met him on one of those dating apps, and I think I can recognize him from his photos. Well, if he ever gets here.
To be fair, I got here early. I get everywhere early. If I don’t, I panic. And yeah, I know the world won’t end if I show up late to dinner, but being late opens the door to a lot of other bad stuff, like people thinking I’m rude, losing my table … making others wait on me. Serious shit like that. I know, I need to lighten up a bit. I try. Really, I do.
But life is easier when things go as planned, when I can stick to a schedule. Life is hard enough as is. Why make it even more chaotic?
My stomach grumbles again and I’m tempted to pull the fancy white-cloth napkin off the basket of bread that’s been set on the center of the table. I inhale and lean back in my chair, feeling a bit woozy from the wine. I don’t drink very often because I don’t like the taste of alcohol, but a sweet bubbly wine like the one in front of me is too good to resist, and I agree to another glass when the waiter comes around.
I unlock my phone and text my sister, Katie, to tell her that my date hasn’t arrived and is officially ten minutes late. I’ll give him another ten then I’m paying for my wine and leaving.
And that it’s all her fault. She set up the dating app and made my account. She’s been with the same guy for seven years and is living vicariously through me, though the few dates she’s set me up on never amount to anything but an awkward goodbye.
Five minutes later, I’m scrolling through Pinterest to keep myself busy and I feel someone stand near the table. I flick my gaze up and see Gavin. And he does look like his photos, thank God. I take a quick second to take it in: he’s tall with broad shoulders, has a bit of gray peppered in his dark hair, and is well dressed. He’s attractive in a non-obvious way. I can handle this.
“Lauren,” he says with a smile.
“Yeah, hi,” I say back and stand. Should I shake his hand? Or go in for a hug? We’ve talked on the phone and via private message, but I’m far from being comfortable around him.
He decides for me and leans in, wrapping his arms around me. He squeezes me tight and I almost choke on the smell of cigarette smoke on his clothes. I internally sigh. I hadn’t thought to ask about that. Such a turn off.
“How are you?” he asks and releases me.
“I’m good,” I say. “Hungry. You?”
He laughs softly. “Hungry too. And sorry I’m late. The temperature dropped and I had to change my socks. It’s not cold enough for the wool ones yet, but cotton wasn’t cutting it.”