The Introvert's Guide to Online Dating - Emma Hart Page 0,29

an eyelid.

“You’re right. You’re insane enough as it is without drugs.”

Dylan choked and hit his fist against his chest.

“If you were laughing, I hope you die on that fry,” Saylor said flatly.

You could literally feel the love.

It was magic.

“He’s not wrong,” I replied. “You are, as evidenced by that response to your boyfriend choking.”

“Meh. He deserves that.” She reached over and snagged two of his fries like she didn’t have a plateful of her own.

I rolled my eyes. I still wasn’t entirely sure how I’d ended up on this weird little dinner date. I’d only come into the bar in the hopes that Simon or Jasmine would be able to smuggle me a burger to take home. Saylor and Dylan had already been here, and no sooner had I sat down than Colton had appeared.

If I were the suspicious type, I’d say it was planned.

The fact he was going from here to another table with another girl said it really was just coincidence.

And boy, that kind of sucked.

“Is that barn done yet?” Saylor asked. “At Seb’s place?”

Colton shook his head. “Not yet. The bones are in place, but there’s a lot to do. This is the one that’s going to be the place where the camps will stay, so we basically have to build all the rooms, bathrooms, kitchen, all that kind of stuff. It’s a big job. It won’t be done until next year by the time the winter hits.”

“Ouch.”

“Don’t. He’s paying us a shit ton of money.” Colton shrugged. “I killed my savings when I bought my place, so I’m glad to replenish that.”

“And you can buy your new girlfriend something pretty,” she teased.

I, however, choked.

Saylor’s gaze flicked to me. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Wrong way down,” I gasped, reaching for the water. I glugged it from my glass as quickly as I could in the hopes it would get rid of the scratching in my throat.

“This dinner is weird,” Saylor muttered.

“As opposed to the normality we experience the rest of the time,” Dylan countered. “This is quite normal.”

“Two of you have almost died,” she replied. “Colton’s quiet, Tori hasn’t threatened to stab him with a fork, and—” She trailed off, eyeing me suspiciously for what felt like the three thousandth time today.

“And?” Dylan prompted her.

“Nothing.”

“And nothing? Saylor, I have yet to discover a sentence in the English language that you could not finish.”

“Well. There you are. You found one.” She smiled and picked up her drink. “What a day it is for you.”

Uh-oh.

Mayday, mayday.

Houston, we have a problem.

I had the sneaking suspicion that Saylor had just figured out who my mystery guy was.

This was going downhill fast.

Now I couldn’t go anywhere. If I used the bathroom, she’d follow me. If I left, she’d follow me. All I had to do was sit here and hope she left before Colton’s date showed up.

I doubted that was going to happen.

Oh, goodie.

This was going to be fun.

Not.

***

I was, in fact, correct.

In a battle of wills, neither me nor Saylor had won. Cora had shown up while Colt was still sitting with us, and I’d had to pretend like I didn’t want to stab myself with a fork while she’d beamed at us all.

She was everything I’d been afraid she would be.

Tall. Pretty. Kind. Friendly.

The kind of person you warmed to the second you met her.

So why did I want to kill her?

Aside from the fact I was a petty bitch. That was well-established already, and that was likely the root cause of it.

The rest of it was pure jealousy.

I wasn’t too proud to admit that.

I was jealous.

I was jealous that she was sitting on a two-person table with Colton right now, on a date, and I was here.

Watching them.

Watching them laugh.

Watching them talk.

Watching her reach out to touch his arm when she giggled.

I was so jealous I thought I was going to be sick.

“I’m going to get a drink. Anyone want one?” Saylor asked, getting up. “Tori?”

I nodded. “Whatever. I don’t care.”

She eyed me knowingly, nodded, and disappeared.

“I’ve seen that look before.” Dylan leaned forward on the table.

I blinked at him. “What look?”

“When I took Saylor to that sports bar. The waitress was flirting with me and she got this look, just like the one that’s on your face now, whenever she saw her.” A glint of understanding flickered in his eyes. “You get it every single time you look in their direction.”

I turned my entire body so my back was to them. “Better?”

A sympathetic smile crossed his face.

“Saylor put you