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ONE
“Oh, no! Not just no. Hell! Freaking! No! Don’t you even look at me like that!” Jane Williams scolded her friend Gerri Wilder.
“How did I look at you?” Gerri stared back at Jane like she had no idea what the hell she was even talking about.
“I know that look. You’re eyeing me up like you have something, or should I say, someone, in mind for me.” Jane rolled her eyes, not even wanting to go there again with Gerri. “I’ve been telling you for years that I’m not interested in becoming one of your clients. Besides, I don’t have a paranormal bone in my body. So how could I be someone you work with? I’m fully and thankfully human.”
“True. You don’t have a paranormal bone in your body, but you could. Very easily.” Gerri laughed and gave Jane that sassy look.
“Pervert!” Jane laughed. It wasn’t that she was opposed to sex with a shifter, she was opposed to sex in general. Sex for her meant having to deal with a man attached to said penis, and that was a big thanks but no thanks.
“And that’s different from normal, how?” Gerri asked.
Jane rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Give it up. I’m not interested. I’m too old and cranky to date. I’d likely scare off anyone you tried to set me up with. Dude would straight up run away, back to his momma.” Jane was fine with her single life. She’d been married and divorced and sure as fuck wasn’t about to put up with anyone’s shit ever again. No matter how big his dick was or how good he was in bed. She was done with men in general. Period. End of discussion.
“I’ll never give up on you, girl. The perfect man is out there for you, and you know I’m right. You’re just afraid. Hey, I get it. Having your heart broken sucks.”
“I’m not afraid of getting my heart broken. I just don’t want to have to work and wait on someone or cook for them for the rest of my damn life. I’m so over all of that. I like just taking care of myself and doing whatever the hell I want. It’s liberating. So, so, so damn liberating. I’m finally living my life for me instead of someone else.”
“Not every man will treat you like fuck face did.”
“I know, but that knowledge still doesn’t change my mind. Don’t you get it? I’m happy. I’m happy with my life. Finally. It’s taken years for me to get to the point in life where I loveme. Where I don’t feel like I have to have someone in my life just for the sake of not being alone. There’s nothing wrong with being single. I wish people … cough cough … you … would realize that.”
Jane had been through hell with her ex-husband, and she had sworn as she was going through the divorce that she was done with men. Straight up done with them. She hadn’t dated since, and it had been years since she signed the dotted line on those damn papers, gaining her freedom. March 21. It was the date she regained power over her life and became truly free.
She had celebrated it every year for the past ten years. As far as she was concerned, it had been and still was, the best day of her life. No one could change her mind about that. Some people said their best day was their wedding day or the day their kids were born. For Jane, it was the day she signed her separation papers.
“I never said there was anything wrong with being single, but I do think you are still healing from your past trauma. I know that eventually, you will want someone to share your life with. You’ll want someone by your side who loves you unconditionally, no matter what,” Gerri explained.
Jane rolled her eyes. “Relationships might be like that for shifters, but not humans. As far as I’m concerned, in the human world, romances like that are nothing more than fantasy, and I can get that from a book. So, I’m all good. I promise.”
Jane wished she could make Gerri understand that she had no desire to hop into any sort of relationship with a man. Not even a friends-with-benefits kind of relationship. She liked coming home from work and chilling, not having to rush around to prepare a three-course dinner for an ungrateful slob who sat around and scratched his balls while she slaved over a hot stove. Fuck that. Double fuck that. She would never go back to that level of absolute bullshit again. If she had to stay single to ensure her own peace of mind, so be it.
“Not every guy is as shitty as Craig was. Trust me on this,” Gerri tried again to convince Jane, but she didn’t want to hear it. Didn’t care if it was the truth or not. Gerri would not change her mind when it came to this particular subject.
“I’m sure you’re right. But that still doesn’t change the fact that I am absolutely not interested in any way, shape, or form. I like everything I have going on in my life. I don’t need anyone because I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything or anyone.”
“Fine. I’ll let it go. For now.”
Jane didn’t miss the way Gerri had eyed her up. She knew better. Gerri was not going to let this shit go. She was going to push and push until Jane finally snapped. Just like all of her other friends pushed her to move on and find a man. No one could understand why she wanted to be single. Why she wasn’t out looking for another man. They just didn’t get it, and they, more than likely, would never understand.
That was okay with her. They didn’t have to get it. They just needed to accept her decision to live her life the way she wanted … man free … and get over it.
It had taken Jane her entire life to be comfortable in her own skin, curves and all. Mentally, she was finally in a healthy place and exactly where she wanted to be in all aspects of her life. She felt good. She liked getting out of bed and going to her bakery. She loved who she was and what she did. So why was it such a problem for everyone else?
“The hell you will,” Jane replied. “I know you better than you know your own self. You will ride my ass about finding that special someone until I finally give in.”
Gerri gasped as if Jane hadn’t just told her the God’s honest truth.
“Please. You know I’m right.”
“Whatever,” Gerri said with an exaggerated eye roll.
“All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t hold your breath when it comes to me wanting to find a man. Shifter or not, I still think you need fucking air to breathe.”
“I don’t know why you are being so obstinate when it comes to this. I know you don’t mind being single, but you have to feel like you’re missing something. Anything?” Gerri asked.
“Honestly, no. I’m good. I know you find it hard to believe, but it’s the truth, nonetheless.”
