AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 1
Nora
“YOU’VE GOT TObe kidding me…” I mumbled and turned, shouting over my shoulder. “Oh, and thanks for sticking me with the tab!”
The bartender walked over. “Everything okay, ma’am?”
I sighed. “Yeah. Guy I met on Tinder just turned out to be nothing like I expected.”
A deep voice came from the other end of the bar. “Shocker. Maybe you should try looking somewhere a little more respectable…”
I squinted down at him. “Excuse me?”
The guy rattled the ice in his glass without looking up. “What’s the matter? He wasn’t as good-looking as his picture made him out to be? You gotta give a guy some leeway. You women are the queens of hiding shit. Lord knows we go to bed with someone with long hair, a great tan, and full lips. In the morning, we wake up next to a person we don’t recognize because of all the makeup, hair extensions, and plumping crap you use.”
Seriously?“Perhaps if you weren’t so rude andlookedat a person when you were speaking to them, you might have noticed that I don’t have hair extensions, wear very little makeup, and I’mnaturallyplumped inallthe right places.”
That seemed to get his attention. The guy’s head lifted, and he did a quick sweep over my face before his eyes snagged on my cleavage. It gave me my first good look at him. The face that came with that attitude wasnothinglike I would’ve expected. Based on how defensive he was about my would-be date’s looks not being up to par, I thought maybe he had some experience disappointing women. But this guy definitely didn’t let down anyone. He was younger than his grumbly voice hinted at, with dark brown hair that could use a cut. Yet I would’ve enjoyed running my fingers through it hadhebeen my Tinder date. He had a strong, masculine jaw peppered with stubble, a Romanesque nose, tanned skin, and aquamarine eyes lined with the thickest black lashes I’d ever seen.
Too bad he was alsoa jerk.
When his eyes finally met mine, I arched a brow. “Which one of us is the shallow one again?”
His lip twitched. “Never said I didn’t appreciate beautiful things. Just that you should give a guy a chance.”
I shook my head. “Not that it’s any of your business, but the reason that guy wasn’t what I expected was because he had an indent from his wedding band on his finger. Probably slipped it off two seconds before he walked in. It had nothing to do with his looks.”
“I apologize then.” He motioned to the bartender. “Her next round is on me.”
I pointed to the half-drunk expensive scotch Tinder guy had left behind—without any cash. “How about that one is on you instead?”
He chuckled. “You got it.”
I sipped my wine, still stewing over the jerk I’d wasted three days talking to. Eventually I yelled over to Mr. Attitude again. “Hey, so what do you use?”
“Pardon?”
“What dating app? You said I should use a more respectable dating app.”
“Oh.” He shrugged. “I don’t use any.”
“Married?”
“Nope.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Nope.”
“So you just what…troll the supermarket pretending to shop?”
“Something like that.” He smirked. “Is Tinder your go-to?”
“It depends on what I’m looking for.”
“What were you looking for tonight?”
I thought about the question. Let’s face it, I found the guy on Tinder three days ago and met him in the bar in the lobby of my hotel. I think it was clear what both of us expected to happen. But it wasn’t really about the physical—at least for me. “To forget,” I answered.
