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Do I escape out the back door or tell the guy it isn’t going to work and leave like a normal human being? Shit, ghosting him sounds really good right about now. I’ve already run out on him twice, surely he couldn’t think the date was going well anyway.
Yep. It’s a shit move, but ghosting him it is.
Wiping the tears off my face, I let out a shaky breath before moving across the bathroom and peeking out the door. My date is busy ordering himself another drink, and it doesn’t go unnoticed that he’s only buying one for himself. Clearly he’s not feeling this either, so I make it easy for the both of us and slip straight out of the bathroom and dash for the same back exit I’d followed Carter out only a few minutes ago.
I stand outside the open back door and sit down on a stool I can only assume is for the bouncer, coming to the conclusion that the whole dating thing simply isn’t for me. Pulling out my phone, I search through my recent contacts and find Bobby’s name before hitting call.
It rings twice before my twin’s voice sounds through the phone. “What’s up?” Bobby calls over the background noise, skipping straight over the hellos.
After the car accident yesterday, Bobby must have called at least twenty times just to check up on me like a good twin brother should, but I quickly realized that perhaps I should have kept it to myself. I shouldn’t have worried him like that. That was selfish of me.
“I’m on a date,” I tell him with a cringe, my unease coming through loud and clear.
“Uhhh . . . cool,” he grunts. “That’s good. I suppose, but if you’re on a date, why the hell are you calling me?”
I let out a heavy sigh and glance back through the open back exit, seeing my date inside and noticing how he doesn’t even bother looking around for me. “Because I’m standing at the back door wondering if I should high-tail it out of here,” I tell him.
“Ahhhh, so the guy is a dud, huh?” he laughs. “But I don’t know if I can really help you. I’m a fucking stud. I’ve never had a chick run out on me. Maybe give Cass a call. Isn’t this what girlfriends are for anyway?”
“Yeah, but I want to talk to you.”
“Alright, alright. Hold up,” he says. A moment passes and I listen as the background noise fades to a dull hum. “What’s going on, Bri? You good?”
“Where are you?”
“Some run-down bar,” he tells me. A pang of jealousy cuts through me. I miss Bobby. I hate that he’s so far away in New York, but that’s where he needs to be for his career, and now all these new people get to spend time with him and soak up his awesomeness while I’m stuck over here, trying to figure out how to get by. “A few of the guys wanted to let off some steam, so here we are. But we’re not talking about me. What’s going on, Bri? Do I need to come home?”
“No, no,” I rush out. “It’s just . . . Carter kinda crashed my date.”
“The fuck?” he spits. “What’s this guy’s deal? You might not be ready, but you needed this. You need to try, otherwise, you’re going to continue being this half version of yourself. Carter isn’t the be-all and end-all. He’s just a guy. You’ll find someone special eventually, but to do that you need to at least try to find him. I love you, Bri, but I love you more when you’re happy. Do it for me.”
“Maybe I should just switch teams,” I sigh.
“No, chicks are fucking crazy. You couldn’t handle that shit. Besides, the poor guy went to the effort to come out and meet you. Even if he’s a dud, the least you could do is give him a chance and try to enjoy your night. He might not be the next big love of your life, but he might be able to make you laugh.”
“He looks and dresses just like Carter.”
“Hmm,” he murmurs, seeing my issue. “Is he paying for your dinner and drinks?”
I peer back inside the door, noticing my date now starting to look around a little in concern. “I think so. Maybe. I don’t know.”
“In that case, make the most of it and get a free meal. It’s only fair, right? The number of random chicks who have scored a free meal out of me is ridiculous.”
I scoff. “You’re in the NHL, making millions. I doubt the occasional free meal is going to break the bank. Besides, I thought you were too much of a stud to have chicks bailing on you.”
I can practically hear Bobby rolling his eyes. “Weren’t we talking about your problems, not mine?” he questions before taking a heavy breath. “Look, you’ve made a big step just going out tonight. So make the most of it. Go back in there and try to enjoy this guy’s company. Have fun, have a few drinks, and at the end of the night, when Cass asks you how it went, you can at least be honest and tell her you tried.”
