Jilted Jock - Rebecca Jenshak Page 0,53

raised a brow, started to raise the other until I realized he was dead serious.

“You’re taking the goat?”

“Of course. Family vacation, mate.”

Finn

I deleted the email draft, the second – okay the sixth – I’d started today. I’d told her the ball was in her court and she’d made it clear she wasn’t kicking it back to me. Nah, she’d taken the ball, stomped on it, and thrown it away. Only the ball was my heart.

I wasn’t always such a sap, I didn’t think.

Closing my laptop, I pushed off the couch, said goodbye to Marshmallow, and grabbed my keys. I was going to be late for my date obsessing over a girl I hadn’t talked to in months.

Foster had convinced me a night out with him and his girl would make my delayed second date with Olivia less awkward. I hoped he was right. I could use a distraction and getting laid probably wasn’t a terrible idea either.

Olivia and I arrived at Foster’s penthouse at the same time. He lived in a spectacular building with views of the hills and the city lights. My buddy liked to entertain – mostly he liked to entertain ladies. Not that he was a man whore, he dated the same girl for three to six months at a time but as soon as he started to feel like things were too serious – he’d cut her loose.

His place was great for dinner and drinks with a view while still feeling casual. Not having to worry about photographers or fans coming up in the middle of conversation was nice too.

“Foster, this place looks great. Who did you get to decorate?” Olivia asked.

He replied and they talked back and forth about the changes since he bought the place.

“Wait, did you sell the place to him?” I asked.

She nodded, a pleased smile pulling her glossy lips up and displaying her LA smile. Everyone here had perfect white teeth all the same size. Veneers or something. I dunno but it threw me off. I chastised myself internally. Now I was tossing women aside for being too perfect. My teeth were crowded and overlapped a bit on the bottom. I wasn’t one to be tossing people overboard for shit like that that didn’t really matter. What did matter is that she wasn’t Adele and I was hunting for reasons to dislike her.

Enough was enough. It was time to accept that whatever I thought I’d felt with Adele was some sort of illusion. That was better than the truth which was just I’d felt something and she hadn’t. My track record for being left for other men was starting to wound my ego.

We had a nice dinner. Foster was great at that sort of thing and afterward we took our drinks to his living room. He and Lauren snuggled together on the sofa, his hand absently running through her long strawberry blonde hair.

For a guy worried about his girl being too serious, he looked pretty satisfied.

“Do you want another drink?” Olivia asked. She glanced at Foster and Lauren and then to the empty kitchen.

“Obnoxious, aren’t they?”

“A little.” She stood and I followed suit, walking a step behind her to the kitchen. It wasn’t that far away, but the setup made it feel like a separate space. Not that Foster and Lauren would notice. They were totally oblivious to us at the moment.

I fixed her another vodka with soda and grabbed myself another beer but didn’t move to go back to the living room just yet. The whole thing was a weird out-of-body experience. Going through the motions, body present but mind and heart totally checked out. I was lost in thoughts of Adele, replaying everything Chance had said about her, and letting my mind run wild with possibilities.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re jealous — the way you’re looking at them. Is it her or him?”

I realized she was right. I was staring. Not at the free show, but at how easy it seemed between them. I glanced at Olivia. Could it be that easy with her?

Was it even supposed to be easy? Sure, Foster looked like a man head over heels in love, but I knew better. Maybe easy went hand in hand with inconsequential.

“Neither. Maybe just a little envious of being in a couple.”

“You’re a relationship guy?” she asked. I liked that she didn’t have my entire relationship history memorized. Nothing worse than meeting a girl and having her think she knows you based on what she’s