even feign being impressed with me. I didn’t get three miles inside the city limits before I saw a Hud Construction billboard. I hear you’re something of a big deal here in town.”
I chuckled. “I don’t know that I would go that far, but if you want to, I’m not going to stop you.”
She let out a musical giggle. “Come on. Let’s get a table. I want to hear all about this new-and-improved Hudson Bradley.”
After we were seated at a dainty table I barely fit behind, we ordered drinks—a dirty martini for Kate and a beer for me, because no fucking way I was having a repeat of the Whiskey Hurricane from Hell. Then Kate excused herself to use the restroom.
And like any man on a date with a gorgeous, smart, funny, and charming woman, I took my phone out to text a different woman. Yes, I did realize the ludicrousness of the situation.
Me: Kate Marlow, seriously?
Lex: Just keep in mind Boop would like corkboard on her scratching balcony while Beep prefers carpet.
I grinned like an absolute fool. Sixteen words. She’d finally replied with a full sentence.
Me: Okay, slow down there. This show isn’t over yet. How are things going with Logan?
Oh, yeah. Lex wasn’t the only one who had been busy planning for this date. Logan Winters was a big-name realtor in Atlanta. He was a good guy. Smart, funny, and had the well-dressed bad-boy thing going, which I knew Lex couldn’t resist. Honestly, if I’d known he was single a few weeks ago, he would have been date number one and I’d have been at home waxing my new Chevelle by this point.
Lex: Surprisingly well actually. You didn’t do half bad this time.
I smiled at the phone. See? This was totally normal, just two friends chatting about our awesome dates. At least that’s what I told myself as a spark of jealousy singed the inside of my chest. Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Me: I thought you might approve.
Lex: I do. Now leave me alone. I was just getting a vibe on Logan’s big dick energy. Go enjoy your dinner with Kate. Fun fact: She is the only woman in Atlanta Lauren hasn’t told how awful you are in bed yet. You’ve got a clean slate, Buster. Enjoy it.
Choosing to ignore the thought of anything to do with Logan’s cock—especially when it came to Lex—I tucked my phone back into my pocket just as Kate returned.
Dinner was great. Sure, I was still starving when it was over. I was not a small-plate kind of man, but at least the rabbit-sized portions had tasted good enough.
Company was great too. We talked for hours, catching each other up on all the years that had passed and everything in between. I was usually a pretty quiet guy, but that night, the conversation flowed and I found myself carrying the majority of it. Honestly, it was one of the best dates I’d ever been on.
Or so I’d thought.
“Wow,” Kate said, leaning back in her seat and placing her empty martini glass on the table. “I didn’t realize you and Alexis were so close.”
My head snapped to the side. “What?”
“You and Alexis. I mean, I knew you two were tight when we were younger, but I just assumed Calvin was your best friend and she kind of came as part of the package.”
“He is my best friend.”
She twisted her pink lips. “Then why have you spent the last two hours telling me everything about Alexis?”
I laughed awkwardly, sweat suddenly beading across my forehead. “I didn’t do that. I was just telling you stories about my life. She’s a part of that.”
She nodded skeptically. “She has a muscle car you want. She has two cats named Beep and Boop. She adores your son, and he currently owes her twenty bucks from this hilarious bet they made. She just got a new job at Warren and Warren Consulting. It’s only entry level, but you have full confidence that she’s going to move up the ladder fast. You’ve been worried about her in this little fixer-upper she bought, so you’ve been using your crew to help her out when you really just wish she would let you do a full renovation, but she’s way too prideful to ever accept that from you.” She shot me a tight closed-mouth smile. “Oh, and at Cal’s wedding, she looked gorgeous and it made you uncomfortable, so you told her she looked like a clown.”
“I never said that,” I defended. And it