It’s safe to assume I’ve been hesitant to jump into that kind of commitment. I was never thrilled with any of my girlfriends long enough to want to spend forever with them. Though I suppose I could have gone the route Marcus did, marrying for love at the moment, then moving on to the next best thing when it became too much to bear. He was the first to get married right out of high school, then married again soon after the first one fell apart. The third and current marriage seems to have stuck the longest at ten years, and I hope it will stay that way. At least he’s matured.
Ben and Eric were a little wiser, waiting until they were older before settling down, and they’ve remained happily married, or at least they’ve never told me otherwise. But when they allstarted having kids, a natural separation grew between us that couldn’t be helped. I was suddenly left out of conversations as they turned to playdates and parenting methods, excluded from many things over the years—maybe not intentionally, but just because it made sense. After all, “Why would Ethan be interested in joining us at the Disney on Ice show?” I guess I can’t blame them, but I honestly might have been if they’d only asked. It’s not like I hate their kids or anything.
“Next, we gotta find Ethan a date to bring up there so that he’s not the seventh wheel,” Marcus jokes, clapping his hand on my back to grab my attention. My brows arch in surprise as I turn to look at him.
“Yeah, man,” Eric agrees. “You’re the only one not coupled up. We gotta fix that.”
“I’m fine,” I reply sheepishly, frowning.
“Bullshit,” Ben scoffs. “You’ve been single now for almost two years. It’s time you get back in the game.”
“What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?” I laugh nervously. “Why are you all suddenly interested in my dating life?”
“You’re closer to forty than twenty-five, and you’re still single, dude.”
My face scrunches with a frown. “Have you been talking to my mother?”
“You know I got Elaine on speed dial.” Ben snickers, and I punch him in the arm. Not too hard, but he still winces and rubs it slightly.
“There’s gotta besomeoneyou’re interested in,” Marcus adds a little too casually. He nods his head up at the bar. “What about Chrissy? She’s single.”
Frowning, I turn my head over my shoulder to look at our regular waitress, where she’s chatting with someone at the bar. She’s been working here for so long that it’s hard to think of Lucky’s without thinking of her. She knows all our drink ordersby heart, and I’m sure plenty of others, too. With a reputation for being the biggest sweetheart you could ever meet, it’s easy to see why everyone loves her. And thanks to the nature of small towns, we share the same social circles enough that I would go so far as to call her a friend, even if we don’t hang out on our own.
I can’t deny that she’s cute, with big doe-like, amber-colored eyes and a plump, round face framed by wavy brown hair. She’s short and curvy, with a nice full figure, exuding nothing but confidence in the bar uniform’s short-shorts and overly tight T-shirt. I’ve always found her attractive, but the last I knew, she was married to a prick named Kyle. It’s news to me that she’s single.
Suddenly, Chrissy looks up and meets my eye, and I panic, thinking she must have heard Marcus’s remark. She flashes me a wide grin, and it’s incredibly warm and inviting—the kind of smile that lights up a room. My return smile is small, but my heart sinks as I quickly realize what’s happening here. I turn back to Marcus sharply, shooting him a glare.
“You did not just ask me out tonight so you could try to set me up,” I hiss quietly. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“You’ve been single for too long, my friend.” Marcus grins wickedly, like he couldn’t be taking any more satisfaction from throwing me under the bus than he is right now. “It’s time you get back on the horse and try again. Chrissy is fantastic, okay? She's a sweet girl, and we all love her. You’re single. She’s recently single and has amassivecrush on you.”
“What?” I ask, though it comes out more like a shriek.
“You can’t be that stupid.” Eric chuckles. “She’s been checking you outallnight. ‘How’s your drink, Ethan?’ ‘Need anything else, Ethan?’ She couldn’t have been more obvious.”
“She’s just being her normal nice!”
I’m full-on panicking now, and I can feel my palms sweating. Totally sexy, just what every girl loves. God damn them for doingthis to me. I should have declined tonight and stayed home reading instead of being ambushed by my so-called friends. But how was I supposed to know this was an elaborate setup? I’m going to murder them.
“We found out she had a crush on you last time we were here.” Ben smirks. “We teased her relentlessly about it after you left for the night, so now it’s your turn. But she’s hot, man. You’d be an idiot to ignore her.”
“But it’sChrissy,” I whine, running a hand through my hair. “I know her. It’s awkward. What if shit goes south?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Marcus groans. “Youknowher, so it’s easier! You’ve already got shit to talk about. Now, get your ass over there and ask her out, or I’ll kick it in the parking lot.”
“Oh, my god,” I groan. “You are all theworstfriends.”
“Pfft. You love us. Now go.”
Despite my irritation, I’m actually very nervous to talk to her. What am I supposed to say that sounds natural? “Hey, girl. Wanna go out?” It’s so cliché! But as much as I don’t want to do this, I know the guys will make me regret it if I say no. So, I get up from the table with one last fierce glare in their direction, taking up my empty beer glass as a pathetic excuse to make this look as casual as possible. I didn’t intend on drinking anymore tonight, but one more won’t kill me.
I feel the eyes of the entire table staring me down, but at least this way, I won’t have an audience when I make a fool of myself. I get the impression that the rest of the bar is watching me, too, as I make my way up to where Chrissy is standing off to the side of the register. But that could be my imagination.
She sees me approaching in the mirror and faces me with a sheepish grin. “Hey, Ethan,” she says, brushing her hair behind her ear. I can see the pink flush across her cheeks, which makes me feel slightly better about doing this.
Standing right in front of me, she has to tilt her head up to look at my face. She barely reaches my chest, but I have a very distinct angle of her cleavage from my vantage point. It takes all of my self-restraint not to stare at it. I smile back and keep my eyes on her face.
“Hey, Chrissy.” I hold out the empty glass. “Can I get another one?”
