Bad Boy Best Friend - Hope Ford Page 0,4

as soon as the compliments stop.

I feel like such a third wheel as I sit here and wonder how soon before I can get up and leave without being rude.

The waitress comes over, ignoring Blair and me and instead looking straight at Austin. I just shake my head, thinking about how some things never change. I get the waitress’ attention. “I’d like to order a round of drinks on me, whatever you got on draft will be fine.”

She nods her head, walking away, and then I smile at Blair. “This way we can celebrate me finally getting to meet Austin’s gorgeous girlfriend.”

Finally, I think I’ve won Blair over, and she starts to tell the story of how she and Austin met. I listen intently, or at least try to. But I can’t help but feel sorry for her. I look between Austin and Blair and know that this is just another notch on his bedpost. He doesn’t do serious. But the only reason I don’t get too sympathetic toward her is because I know Austin. By now, he’s already told her that he doesn’t commit and doesn’t want a relationship. Women just don’t seem to get it or believe it though. They always think they’re going to be the one that changes his mind. But I can tell it’s not going to happen… not with Blair.

Austin cuts in when Blair’s story starts to get too personal. He shifts Blair to his other leg and puts her on the chair on the other side of him and then leans toward me. “How are you doing? You worried me when you didn’t text me back yesterday.”

My face flushes with guilt. He still doesn’t know that I’ve been here three days already, pretty much avoiding him. I don’t want to get into details with Blair staring me down, though. “It was just a hard situation I needed to get away from.”

The waitress brings our drinks back and I act as if I’m preoccupied with that. I take a big swig, automatically remembering how the drinks are watered down, but it still feels like home to me anyway.

Austin reaches his hand out and I know he’s going to put it over mine. He’s done it a thousand times in the past, but for some reason this time, I pull back. I don’t know why I do, and I can tell he doesn’t like it, but it doesn’t stop him or sway him from what he wants to talk about. “What happened?”

Instead of answering him, I look at Blair and she’s looking down at her shirt, opening buttons on her already low cut blouse and it’s clear that she’s not happy about me being here. When she sees me looking at her, her hand slides across Austin’s chest and down his stomach, disappearing under the table.

I take another swig of my beer and avert my eyes. She’s going to give him a hand job right here. I’m done.

I stand up, pulling money from my purse and tossing it onto the table. “I’m going to go, Austin, so you and Blair can finish your date.”

I look between his face and Blair’s disappearing hand and back again. It’s like he didn’t even notice that she’s wanting to give him a—well, you know—right here. But when he sees me staring, he holds on to Blair’s arm and removes it before standing up. “You don’t have to go.”

“Tomorrow. We can get together tomorrow,” I assure him, already walking toward the door.

“We can all go. I’ll take Blair home and then we can talk.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, Blair looks as if she’s going to start a cat fight right here and I’m the one she’s gunning for.

I can feel the explosion in the air and I’m just waiting on the attack, but then the guy from earlier, who I’m sure I recognize from high school… Shawn maybe… comes over and offers to take me home. He must have been close to know I was leaving.

I leap at the chance to miss Blair giving Austin a public hand job. I smile at him. “Shawn, that would be great but I only live like ten minutes away, and I can walk.”

Shawn slaps Austin on the back. “Are you kidding? I don’t mind walking at all. The fresh air will do me good. See you soon, buddy.”

I say goodbye quickly before Austin can do anything but accept it.

But Austin is faster than I remember and is up out of