“Yeah, why?”
Her brows knit together. “It’s just that…well, that’s out of character.” I nod in agreement. Since I’ve met Rider, I’ve been doing a lot of different things. “I mean, you didn’t even invite Jason to your home until you knew him for months.”
“Rider and I are friends.” Fast friends, but friends none the less. I toy with the sleek stem of my glass, and shuffle my chair in closer to the table when someone bangs me from behind, hitting me so hard, my wine sloshes over the sides of my glass. “It’s different, is all.”
Lindsay looks past my shoulders, and frowns, her eyes following whoever knocked me. “Different how?”
I glance around to make sure no one can hear, but everyone is focused on the game. “There are no expectations. He’s not looking for anything, I’m not looking for anything, so we decided to become friends with benefits. We’re just having fun.”
Lindsay sucks in air and leans back. “You think that’s a good idea?”
“Yeah. Why? Don’t you?” I angle my head. “You’re the one who’s always encouraging me to get my ass back out there and have some fun. You told me to go for it with Rider.”
“I know, and he seems like a nice guy.”
“He is a nice guy,” I agree.
“A one-night stand, and friends with benefits are two different things.” Her hand falls over mine. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“How can I get hurt?” I square my shoulders, confident in my choices. “I’m a big girl and know what I’m getting into.”
A long pause and then, “Do you?”
Wait, does she know something I don’t?
Cheers erupt again, and we both turn to the screen in time to see the Shooters win the game.
“Nice,” I say under my breath, and clap with the rest of the patrons. I turn back to Lindsay as the team members all hug. Where were we? Oh, right. She was warning me.
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“You deserve it all, Jules. Love, happiness, the big house full of kids, a guy who’ll put you on a pedestal. A guy who will worship the ground you walk on.”
Now it’s my time to snort. “Who says I want that?”
Green eyes go as serious as a heart attack. “I do.”
I open my mouth, about to protest—even though she’s not wrong—but my voice catches when I get hit from behind again. I slowly turn and find none other than Candy, with her big blue eyes glaring down at me. Behind her stands her posse, and I hope none of them smile, otherwise the three-inch-thick layer of makeup on their faces could crack like dry cement.
“Candy,” I say and shift in my chair.
“You two know each other?” Lindsay asks.
“We met the other night,” I say.
“Yeah, when you were pretending to be Rider’s fiancée.” She rolls her eyes and waves a dismissive hand. “Wishful thinking on your part, I guess.”
“Jules?” Lindsay says quietly.
“Are you calling me a liar?” Behind her, two girls share a whisper, and I arch a brow. I have no time for mean girls. “Do you two have something to say?” Candy waves her hands to quiet them.
“Yes, you’re a liar.” She pulls her phone from her Gucci bag and waves it. “My girlfriend in Vancouver is about to fuck loverboy after the game.”
Blood drains from my face, and a ridiculous lump forms in my throat and threatens to choke me. Honestly, who Rider goes home with—or to put it more crudely, who he fucks—is his business. It shouldn’t bother me one little bit.
So, why does it?
“We have an open relationship,” I state, my voice even and calm, likely from my emergency room training. Except my damn hand shakes when I give a dismissive wave.