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"What are you? Twelve?" I laughed, letting Cruz's banter make me feel better.
"What does he want help with?"
"I don't know if I should say." Because it's stupid and dumb of me to consider it just to save face about not remembering anything. Not even Cruz knew about what happened after he left that night. No one needed to know I got that wasted.
"Is it illegal? Does he want you to shove drugs up your ass?"
"No," I laughed again. "I mean, it's a little twisted, but nothing like that."
"What are you going to do, then?"
"Guess I'm gonna steal his girl, just like he asked me to do." Because how else was I supposed to explain it to him? I'd rather get traded to Toronto than tell him I somehow came up with an idea to be a cocky famous soccer player and fill in for Hunter on a date with his girl. Cruz would probably have me committed.
"What?" Cruz's eyes were bulging out of his head. He wanted more information, but I didn't want to give him any. Not yet.
Standing up, I sighed, and as I walked away, I added, "It's complicated."
ChapterTen
Tatum
After a long day at work, the last thing I wanted to do was go out and have dinner. But if Hunter was making the effort, I was going to see it through. It was what I asked him to do, and I didn't have an argument to save our relationship if I didn't try either.
As I sat alone at the seaside restaurant where he told me to meet him, I knew in my heart he wasn't coming. Then it was confirmed when his text came through.
Sorry, Tay. A meeting popped up, and I can't say no.
Yes, he could have. He could have told whoever called a meeting that he was headed to dinner already and couldn't make it. But he'd never choose me over soccer.
Taking one last sip of my water, I tried to devise a plan to leave and still save face with everyone around me. Humiliation wasn't something I handled well, and being stood up ranked among the highest forms of embarrassment in my book. All I could think to do was pretend I had to use the restroom and leave, never showing my face in there again.
With my head down, I took a deep breath and summoned the courage I needed to get up, but I heard a familiar voice before I did.
"Is this seat taken?"
Lifting my eyes, they locked with Tripp Maddux's, who looked just as shocked to see me as I did him.
"Coconut?"
"If you didn't know it was me, who else were you going to sit with?" For the most part, I was teasing him. "Do you go around meeting new girls every day?"
"What? No!" He pulled the chair out and sat down, looking around casually to see if we were making a scene. "I thought you were someone else."
"Who?"
"A friend of a friend, I was just going to say hi."
"Well, I was just leaving," I laughed humorlessly. "I got stood up, so I'm not staying."
Why did I tell him that? It made me look pathetic.
"By your boyfriend?"
"Yes," I lifted my chin. "My ex. Just trying to get what I want, like you told me to do."
His smile was soft and sad. "That's good—"
"Don't," I held up a hand to stop him from talking anymore. "This is just embarrassing, and I'm telling you way more than I should. I need to leave."
