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What did people expect? All I wanted was to get through this competition and get Trouble out of trouble. I didn't need any more stress. Stress cut into your napping time and napping time was the best time. But no one believed me.
It got even worse when I overheard the staff at the bar.
"Razer for sure. He's a local. People love him in this town," said Drew.
He wiped down the table behind Jackson then looked at his work and wiped some more. He had as much chance of getting those stains out as he did of removing Jackson from his bar stool.
"Don't be so sure." Jackson didn't look up from his whiskey glass when he talked. His voice rasped with the suggestion of smoking too many rollies. "People like a bit of novelty. They can see Razer any time."
"Yeah, but this is different. They'll want Razer to win. I'd put good money on it. Local boy always wins."
"Underdog always wins."
"I'm not so sure about Alex being an underdog," Drew said. “He seems pretty fancy if you ask me. I’m not saying he’s not a great guy. I’m just saying he isn’t going to win. Razer and Violet make a better couple anyway. Alex is not the man for her.”
What the hell did Drew think he was doing, having an opinion about my love life? The only thing he should have an opinion on was shutting the fuck up.
Carlie grabbed a notepad from under the bar. "So, Drew, when you say you'd put good money on it, exactly how much are you talking? Because I know you don't earn much and I'm only taking serious bets."
I did a double-take. Carlie had to be joking.
She wasn't joking.
"This is no betting matter!"
Everyone turned to face me. Drew put his head down and scrubbed some more.
"Everything is a betting matter.” Carlie sighed. “Are you in? Actually, maybe you should stay out of it, having insider information and all that."
"I can only go as high as twenty bucks. Will that be enough?" Drew asked.
"Drew, you cannot bet on this,” I said. “All of you. Don't even think about betting."
As I looked around the bar, no one met my gaze. The bastards. They were all in on it.
"It's no fun if we can't have a friendly bet," said Jackson. "And my boy, Alex, is going to pay out big time."
That would've been far less embarrassing if Carlie hadn't waggled her eyebrows at me when he said: "payout". T
hat girl could make anything seem dirty.
I wondered myself who’d win. The competition was a game to them but the bet worried me. These guys weren’t fooling around and eventually, I’d have to kiss one of them. Even though I tried to push the thought away, the sensual curve of Razer’s bottom lip figured way too much when I thought about that. Then, Alex’s eyes.
I hated to admit it but sometimes this competition didn’t seem too bad.
Chapter 28 RAZER
THE NEXT DAY, I DROPPED by Violet's office to see her. I’d borrowed my cousin’s bike again because, no matter how much she protested, she’d had fun that day.
"We need to talk," she said. "No, we don't. Forget it. There is nothing to talk about. Or, maybe, let's talk about how you think it's okay to drop in whenever you feel like it to talk to me at work. It's damn rude, Razer. I have a job to do and, unless it's work-related, you’re just wasting my time."
Whoa, I wasn't expecting her to get upset like that.
"Fair enough but you don't seem to mind when Alex drops by." As soon as I said that, I wished I could take the words back. That was possibly the worst thing I could’ve said. I sounded like a high school girl.
She glared at me and I moved closer to her. She started to smile at me, there was definitely something going on there. Something that looked good for me. But then, she changed. She pushed me away.
"Razer, you have to face it. There is nothing between us. Nothing. I don't want you getting false hope. I might've given you the wrong idea at times but it meant nothing."
