way. Chasing after men like Mike led to heartbreak and regret. And why deal with that when you had a sure thing on its way?
Putting her phone down, Rori walked over to a fresh canvas and got to work.
Chapter 36
Rori “liked” his picture. That meant she’d seen it, but she hadn’t used the opportunity to leave a comment or call him back. Why should she? She had her damn matchmaker.
There was no playbook for this—especially when a guy was in the middle of the desert and more than a hundred miles from the nearest gas station. He was just a lone guy out in the middle of the desert. It was like a metaphor.
It was tempting to call his sister and ask her thoughts, but that just felt desperate. Besides, it was late. She and Luke were probably… baking… or something.
Great. Just great. Mike was striking out while Luke was scoring… with Mike’s little sister. Maybe it was best that Mike was in the middle of the desert. No one could hear him scream.
Just then his phone chimed with a Facebook message.
“Yesss!” he breathed, pulling the message up. Rori had followed up! She’d—
Mike looked at the message and blinked.
I see she’s FB stalking u. Have u grown some balls and fucked her yet?
Definitely not Rori. He knew it was Sydney before looking up and seeing her name.
To answer, or not to answer?
What the hell?
Not yet, he typed. She’s in New York.
Pansy ass, she typed back. U no wut I do when I want sumthing in a different state? I get on a fucking plane n go get it.
Yes, she most definitely did. Mike couldn’t argue that point. She’s making it very clear that she’s going with a matchmaker and she’s not interested in me.
Men r dumb, she typed back.
Thanks, he replied. And fyi, I am flying out to video her show in September.
N 2 fuck her?
“Well, yeah,” Mike said, but didn’t type it. I’m staying a few extra nights after the event.
Good boy.
I figure I should keep things as they are through her event, and then when that’s over we can see what’s what.
Wut’s wut? That doesn’t sound like a plan. U’d better no exactly wut’s wut before u go. I thot a hot guy would no that.
The woman sure knew how to deflate a guy.
Wutever. I c ur still a hot mess. Send up a flare when u finally get laid. Gotta go.
Then she was gone, although a moment later she commented on his photo: Total CGI. The milky way is never that bright. Faker.
Sydney Barnes. If ever there was a woman more unfathomable than Rori Townsend, it had to be Sydney. But some other man would have to take on the dubious honor of figuring Sydney out. Because more than ever Mike was focused on September, and figuring out the what’s what of it all.
Chapter 37
June
The invitation in Rori’s hand cordially invited her to the wedding of Bentley Jeremiah Frandson and Aimee Elizabeth Rogers.
She shouldn’t have opened the letter—wouldn’t have if she would have known Aimee’s last name. The invitation had been just one envelope in the stack of her forwarded mail. It could have been from anyone. Instead it was from Bentley.
What in the world had he been thinking putting her on the wedding invite list? That she would decline by way of a luxurious gift to prove that she had no hard feelings?
The only thing that pissed her off more than knowing that’s what he expected was knowing that in the end, that’s exactly what she would do.
And people wondered why they’d broken up.
Okay, no one wondered why they’d broken up. They’d all been too busy warning her that Bentley was a no-good social climber. She hadn’t believed them, of course. Hadn’t wanted to. Not until she realized that somehow he’d gotten her to fund his bachelor pad by claiming that it was really an art studio.
Well, Rori hoped Aimee had better luck with him. They looked happy in the photo. And rich. And maybe if Aimee never walked in on her soon-to-be husband in the throes with one of his models they could stay that way.
Rori gave them eighteen months. Tops.
She meant to put the invitation to the side, to stop looking at it. Yet she couldn’t. The whole mess with Bentley had happened nearly three years ago. She should be over it, and yet seeing him smile at her from the photograph brought back all sorts of crazy memories. Good crazy. Because even though