“You’re no fun.” She pouted.
“I am fun!” I protested.
“Okay. So why aren’t you going out with me and the gang tonight?” she asked when we finally made it to the counter.
I turned to the clerk, relieved for an excuse not to respond. “Hey, Drew!” I smiled.
His answering grin was huge. “Hiya, Olivia. The usual—hold the aioli and a side salad with no dressing?”
I nodded, pleased he’d remembered my order, even the small details. “You know it.”
“That’s why I like you.” He smiled as he rang me up. “You’re predictable.”
I frowned, just as Alyssa whispered the word “boring” in my ear.
“You know what?” I was still reeling from that jerk’s email and now being called “predictable” by Drew. “I’d like to change my order. I’ll have the…the—” I glanced up at the menu above the cash register and settled on the first thing I saw “—the PLT.”
“One PLT coming right up.” Drew smirked.
“Ooh,” Alyssa teased. “You’re really living on the edge now.”
“That’s right,” I said, signing the tablet and giving my name an angry flourish. “Watch out world, Olivia Hayes is on a roll.”
She bumped my hip with hers. “You know I’m just teasing you.” She turned to Drew with a smile. “I’ll take the Southpaw, thanks.”
“Sure thing,” he said.
We thanked him and accepted the cups for our drinks before heading over to a table.
“He likes you, you know,” Alyssa said.
“Who?” I asked, glancing around.
“Drew.”
I frowned and glanced over at him before returning my attention to Alyssa. “Drew, as in hold-the-aioli Drew?”
“Yes.” She laughed with a roll of her eyes. “God, you are so clueless sometimes.”
“I just don’t see it.”
“Don’t see what? The way he lights up when you walk in? Or how he spends extra time talking to you about books? Or the fact that he has your order memorized?”
“He does that with everyone.” I straightened my fork and knife.
She shook her head. “Not with me.”
“Whatever,” I scoffed. “You’re smoking if you think he—or any guy for that matter—would pick me over you. I mean, at least until they hear who my dad is,” I said with a self-deprecating laugh.
Unfortunately, my dad was the reason most guys seemed even remotely interested in me. As a former player for the Hollywood Heatwaves, that alone was enticing enough. But then you added to it the fact that he was a color commentator on one of the local networks, and it was over. I’d gotten so sick of it, I’d started avoiding dating altogether. Hence the lack of experience with men.
“Here you are. One Southpaw.” Drew set a plate before Alyssa, and I was grateful for the interruption. “And one PLT.” He grabbed our number from the table. “Anything else?”
We shook our heads, and I said, “Thank you.”
“Of course.” He grinned. “Enjoy your meal. And I hope you don’t mind, Olivia, but I added one of our new chocolate cherry chunk cookies. They’re nut free, and I thought you might enjoy it.”
“Thanks, Drew.” I smiled up at him, but I began to wonder if Alyssa was right and I’d been missing something.
