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“I wonder if you can order a husband?” I asked, looking at the menu.
Linley picked up the menu and pretended to scan it. “Nothing. Damn.”
Even though I wasn’t drunk, or even tipsy, being with someone who was getting there was giving me a pleasant contact buzz.
I snuck a sip of her beer as she scanned the room. “I should probably talk with at least one guy tonight, so I can tell my mom.”
Her mom would spot a lie a mile away, so there was no use trying to pull one over on her. We’d tried and failed.
“Okay, avoid that one,” I said, pointing to one guy laughing robustly at the bar.
“Why?”
“Because he looks like someone who would have sexually harassed me in high school.” It wasn’t anything specific about the guy. It was an energy he gave off. A vibe.
Linley tilted her head to the side, considering. “I think you’re projecting.”
I didn’t think I was.
She took another sip of her beer. “Still, he’s not my type anyway. I don’t like blond guys for some reason. They don’t seem very trustworthy.”
“Now who’s projecting?” I asked, reaching for another wing.
“I can’t help what my heart wants,” she said.
I completely got what she was saying. Wyatt had blond hair. Hmmm.
Knowing what I did about Linley’s preferences, I took a visual sweep around the room. We had very different types. She was into much more sporty guys than I was. Wyatt had been an exception for me, and one upside of not dating him anymore was that I didn’t have to hear about his gym workouts anymore. At the time, I’d forced myself to listen to “be supportive” while I’d been dying on the inside. I really was an excellent girlfriend.
“There,” I said, leaning toward her. “Two tables over. He’s alone.”
Linley pretended to gaze around at the bar so she could get a good look at the guy I’d spotted. He wasn’t exactly sporty per-se, but there was something about him that I thought she might like.
Linley gave him a long appraisal. “Oh, yeah. He is cute.”
I shoved her with my shoulder. “Go talk to him. If he’s a cool guy, he’ll think it’s hot that you approached him. If not, then you know he’s not for you.”
Linley’s face got a little red, but she hopped off her seat and squared her shoulders before stepping in the direction of the potential suitor.
I couldn’t hear what she said to him, but he gave her a little smile and she slid into the empty seat next to him. My work here was done.
To avoid being a complete helicopter friend, I pulled out my phone to give myself something to do while Linley worked her magic. She was the kind of person who was so warm, she could have a chat with anybody and make them feel like she was completely invested. Sometimes that backfired and she neglected her own needs and wants to cater to other people. That had been an issue in some of her past relationships, in my opinion.
I zipped through my notifications and shuddered at the memory of Wyatt’s dick pic. Not because he had a bad dick (he didn’t. It was very nice), but because it meant he was sending them to other people. He’d probably been doing that while we were dating. I’d heard rumors but had ignored them at the time. I’d believed Wyatt when he explained everything away. Fuck, I’d been so consumed with lust that I’d ignored all sense. More brain, less horny next time.
I hadn’t been looking through my phone for long when Linley came back with a grin on her face. “He had to go, but I got his number and he followed me on social, so who knows?”
I gave her my full attention. “Details?”
“His name is Gray, he only lives about a half hour from Castleton, twenty-six, and he’s a phlebotomist.”
“I have no idea what that means.”
“He draws blood. He made a cute little vampire joke, so I’m thinking I should definitely go out with him.”
She wouldn’t stop grinning and going on about him, so I was thrilled for her. Linley downed the rest of her beer and I asked if she was ready to go out on a high note.
“Yeah, I’m good.” Since she was used to getting up so early, she went to bed much earlier than I did.
Linley paid the tab in exchange for me driving and we headed out.
I put my arm around her shoulders as we walked back to where my car was parked. The night air was thick and warm, and I couldn’t wait to get back to my sweet little cottage and the cool seaside air. “So, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Going out. Your mom was right.”
Linley groaned. “She’s going to be insufferable for a month at least.”
“Is that better than her nagging you?”
We reached my car and I unlocked the door so she could slide in. “I’ll let you know.”
