Page 204 of The Bluffing Game

“That fucking asshole,” she shouts. “He thinks I’m just going to sit at home, waiting around for him and not date anyone, while he’s seeing that skank.” Izzy’s voice is loud, and she’s mad.

I’ve never seen her like this before. We all watch as she stalks over to the other side of the room and taps Colton on the shoulder. Initially, he doesn’t seem to feel the tap because he’s still got his tongue down Kendra’s throat, but then Izzy must say something as she taps him on the shoulder again, and he quickly pushes Kendra back, looking very much like someone has just been caught with his fingers in the cookie jar. I can hear Kendra saying something, but I can’t quite decipher the words. Colton shakes his head and tries to grab her hand, but she pulls it back away from him. At first, Kendra has a self-satisfied look on her face, but it turns into a frown as Colton takes a step back from her. Izzy shakes her head vehemently, then points at him in the face and screams something. He looks shocked.

Next thing I know, Izzy has turned around, and she’s walking back to the booth, a huge smile on her face.

“Slide over, Lucia,” she says, sitting down, panting. “I cannot believe I just did that.” She takes a deep breath. “It’s over. It’s officially over. I’m done with Colton.”

“You okay? Do you⁠—”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” she says. “Let’s just say that the jerk was still trying to pretend that he and Kendra were not together, even though they were literally just kissing.”

“I hate liars,” Lucia says. “What a jackass.” She lets out a long sigh. “I felt guilty for creating that FB profile, but now I’m glad I did.”

“I know. I am as well.” Izzy nods. “I suppose all deception isn’t always bad.”

“I’m so proud of you though,” I say to Izzy.

“So, tell us your news,” Izzy says, looking at me. “I need to distract myself before I burst into tears or something.”

“Well, you guys are going to be in shock, but Dalton and I kissed last night.”

“No way,” Izzy screams and grabs my hands for a few seconds.

All of them look like they can’t believe what I’ve just said.

“You and my brother did it?” Lucia gasps.

“No, no, of course not. We kissed—that’s it. It was intense though,” I say as I run my fingers nervously through my hair. “I was babysitting Toby, and I had a date, and I guess Dalton’s meeting with Brett went too late. It was intense or whatever, and he couldn’t text me. So, we argued a little bit, and then he apologized for making me miss my date, and then he said he’d give me a good night kiss to make up for the night. And, girls”—I touch my lips gingerly—“it was magical.”

“Oh my gosh, does that mean you like Dalton?” Izzy’s eyes are wide. And then she looks over at Lucia.

Lucia smiles awkwardly. “He’s my brother, and I love him, but word of warning: He doesn’t really do long-term relationships.”

“And it’s okay,” I say, holding my hand up. “He’d already said that to me, and while I enjoyed the kiss, it was nothing more than that. I know he’s not looking for a commitment. It was just really cool and nice and …”

“Wow.” Rosie stares at me. “I knew you had a thing for him, and I knew he had a thing for you.”

“We don’t have a thing for each other. It’s probably just sexual attraction. There’s chemistry there, and that’s okay. Just because you feel chemistry with someone doesn’t mean that it means anything.”

Izzy nods. “Yeah, I can see that. I had an attraction to Colton, and he turned out to be a dickhead.”

“Yeah, he did,” Lucia says. And then she looks over at me. “So, are you and my brother going to go on a date or⁠—”

“No, no, no. He knows I’m on the app. Actually, there’s a very rich and good-looking guy who messaged me this morning, and I’m going to schedule a date with him. His name is Parker, and he seems really nice. I just …” My voice trails off, and I sigh.

So far, Parker seems like a perfect match for me. Gorgeous, wealthy, great sense of humor, and genuinely interested, but I still can’t stop thinking about Dalton.

“Okay, girls, don’t judge me, but Dalton is so cute and so charismatic. Maybe it’s because I see him a lot at work and all that, but I can’t stop thinking about him. But I know,” I add, “he’s not the one. He doesn’t fit what I’m looking for, not to be rude or anything.”

I look over at Lucia.

“Don’t worry; no offense taken.” She laughs. “Dalton is the ultimate bachelor.”

“I just think he can kiss really well.”

“Oh my gosh, I don’t want to hear about you kissing my brother.”

“I’m sorry.”