Breaking Bro Code (The Line Up #4) - Misti Murphy Page 0,13
but that’s not where I’m at in my life right now.
“We, uh, met on the app,” she says.
“Really?” Lewis smirks, giving me his see, I told you look.
“Yeah, we sort of hit it off from the beginning,” she says. “The app matched us and we’ve practically been inseparable since.”
“I’m so happy for you.” I embrace her.
“That’s only because you’re forgetting we made a deal,” she says. “You have to sign up to the app too, remember?”
I step back. I really don’t want to try out the app. The idea alone almost gives me hives. I scratch at my throat. “It’s easy for you. You decide to date a guy and you end up with a boyfriend. I do it and I’ll end up with a serial killer? And who has time for a serial killer? I certainly don’t.”
“Just do it,” she says.
“Ugh.” I down the rest of my drink and place the empty glass on the table. “Can we please talk about this later?”
“Fine,” she says. “Now, can you two please not scare this one away.”
“As if we’d do that.” Lewis swallows a mouthful of his amber ale.
“Yeah, that’s funny.” Kiki chuckles humorlessly.
“It was all Lewis.” I point my thumb in his direction.
“It was not,” he glares at me. “I’m always on my best behaviour.”
“Says the guy who was so intense about my last boyfriend being a pro baseball player that I never heard from him again.” Kiki groans. “I’m telling you right now you better not scare this one off.”
“You were dating Beau Darling. Any guy in my position would have been the same. This guy’s not a baseball player.”
“No, he isn’t.” She smiles smugly. “He’s a linebacker.”
Lewis’s gaze swings toward Dal so fast he has to rub the twinge out of his neck. “Seriously? I thought he looked familiar.”
Trix smacks him in the chest with the back of her hand. “Leave Kiki’s date alone.”
He takes her hand. Kisses her knuckles. “Anything for you, mother of my child.”
Being around this much affection is like being swallowed by cotton candy. And I still haven’t been able to share my news.
Dalton James, the linebacker, is heading back toward our table with another round of cocktails, a twin amount of shots, and a guy who is almost as tall and as broad as he is.
I glance at Kiki to confirm my worst suspicions. “You didn’t.”
“I thought he should have a buffer.” She shrugs.
“You’re setting me up.” I groan.
Lewis smirks.
“Don’t think of it as a date,” Kiki says.
“Trust me, I won’t.” I roll my gaze at her.
“Why don’t you think of it a fun evening with new friends,” she suggests.
“Great.”
The two men join us around the table and Dalton introduces his buddy, Teller Mason. The guy stands too close to me as our party takes simultaneous shots of tequila with lime and salt sans Trix who is sticking with her mocktails for now obvious reasons.
The guy’s size would be intimidating if it weren’t for the fact that I grew up around a bunch of grown men, but he’s overly friendly in the way a guy who has been told his blind date is desperate might be.
Our second round is followed by more shots and more cocktails. Okay, so Teller might not be terrible company. No worse than hanging out with my brother, at any rate.
“Do you want to have dinner some time?” he asks while we enjoy the fourth round of cocktails. “I’d like to get to know you better.”
And I’d like to get a root canal. It’s not him. Really. I have a million things I would rather do than go on a date with anyone. I bury the lie that sprouts from my lips in my drink. “I can’t. I have a boyfriend.”
“Oh.” He seems taken aback, which is only fair, because Kiki would have told him that I’m single. So either he knows I’m lying, or he’s wondering how one of my closest gal pals got it so wrong. “What’s his name?”
He’s smart too. Has me figured out on the lie, it seems. “Mike Arrear.”
“Mike Arrear?” He frowns.
It sounds made up. “Mmhmm.”
“Mike Arrear,” he repeats. His brow smooths out and he chuckles. “My career? Are you saying that you’re married to your job?”
“I am.” I offer him an I’m sorry smile. “No hard feelings?”
“Not at all,” he says. “I get it. I’m married to mine too. Dal’s always trying to get me to socialize more.”
We finish up with another round of shots and cocktails. My treat this time. Teller helps