I’ve ever seen. They need to get over each other already. Enough with the eternal love crap.”
I smile. Isla functions in extremes when it comes to love and relationships. If she’s in one, true love exists and we’ll all find it. If she’s just broken up with someone, love is a sham and anyone who says otherwise is a brainwashed idiot who needs to turn off the Hallmark channel.
“So Randall didn’t work out?”
“Randall.” She puffs out a breath of air. “Don’t even say his name.”
“How many dates did you guys get to? I forget.”
“Four, and then he told me he’s not really looking to put labels on anything and love isn’t binary and ‘Would it be cool if we kept this unlabeled relationship open to others?’”
I groan. “I knew he sucked. When are you going to give in and just date Tanner?”
She laughs. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Anyway, enough about me. What about you? Does Tinder still work way out there? Maybe you’ll meet a nice country mouse.”
“The closest town is an hour and a half away. I don’t think I’ll be doing much dating.”
“You say that like you do a lot of dating when you’re in Austin.”
“I do,” I say, sounding defensive even to my own ears.
“That’s hilarious.”
“Kayley,” I say as proof, reminding her of the friend she set me up with back in the fall.
“Yes, Kayley, who you took out on two horrible dates. She said during dinner you barely looked up from your phone. Then, you called her Candace when you dropped her off, before giving her a side hug.”
I frown. “That was back in October. I was probably preoccupied with the Zilker project.”
“When are you not preoccupied with a project? Whatever. I’m not setting you up with any more of my friends. Kayley swore she wasn’t bothered that you didn’t seem that into her, but whenever I see her in the office, she bolts in the other direction. Last week, I think she hid from me in the maintenance closet.”
I rub the back of my neck.
“So what I’m saying is,” she continues, “you better sign up for Tinder and get to swipin’ cause I’m not helping you out anymore.”
It’s sad to say I haven’t felt all that inspired to date in the last few years. I’ve put myself out there—mostly due to the insistence of friends—but the routine has become a little stale. Slow, awkward first dates. Good-but-not-great sex. Nonexistent banter. It’s my fault. I’m the asshole on my phone during dinner. I’m the jerk who doesn’t call back. I’m the guy who apparently forgets his date’s name. Yikes, that’s…not good. I just don’t know how to stop myself from focusing all of my attention on work. It doesn’t help that I’ve built up this illusion in my mind, this idea that I’m just biding my time, waiting for someone to shake me out of this stupor.
Even worse, I did find that woman.
Taylor.
Our encounter last month was like a slap to the face. WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT. Look at her! Look at her sitting at the bar and realize that if you don’t crawl over broken glass to get to this woman, you will regret it for the rest of your life. So, I followed her into that bathroom, and I kissed her with an all-consuming need. Her smooth curves pressed against mine, her full lips tempting me toward insanity.
She was different, wild, beautiful. She was…stealing my wallet while I was thinking only of how I could convince her to spend the night with me.
The reminder twists my gut.
Ah yes, she was different because she was a seductive actress.
Not real.
I push to stand.
The sun is hanging low in the sky now, behind the canopy of trees. Soon, I’ll need the lantern to find my way around, but Isla drones on. Isla is always droning on. Fiery meteors could be raining down from the sky and she would want to chat about it, preferably for two hours.
“Isla,” I say, interrupting a story about her boss. “I gotta go.”
“Oh! Okay. I’ll let you know how drinks go tomorrow. Chances are I’ll be texting you vomit emojis.”
After we hang up, I head inside the cabin, turn on the lantern, and lie down on my bunk to read. It’s kind of nice being out here. My computer is back in the trailer near the jobsite where there’s power and a boosted internet connection. In the cabin, the wireless internet on my phone is slow and not