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I choke on the swig of whiskey. "What? No way, man! She's the last person on earth I'd be interested in."
"You know, bro... You've always had a thing for princesses."
He chuckles, pouring another round of drinks. "Maybe it's time to switch it up."
I scowl at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Come on, Logan." Steve leans back in his chair. "Think about it. Amanda, with her obsession over her damn high heels. She wouldn't even take the trash out without them. And then there was Bella, who had to have breakfast in bed every single day with a rose on the tray or else you were in the fucking dog house for a month. Let's not forget about Mia. Oh, Mia! Who had a meltdown every single time her manicure got chipped. Or what about Sophie? She wouldn't even pump her own gas, man!"
Steve's laughter fills the room, and I can't help but laugh along.
Fuck. He's right.
My dating history is like a 'who's who' of pampered princesses.
"And now, here's Bailey," Steve continues, still laughing. "Ms. I-Can-Do-It-Myself. Ms. I-Don't-Need-A-Prince. Ms. I-Play-By-The-Rules. You know, maybe a good girl like her is exactly what you need.”
I stare at him, my laughter dying down. "You're out of your mind, Steve." He doesn't buy it, I can tell. Because as insane as it sounds, a tiny part of me wonders if he might be right.
"Whatever you say, bro." He raises his glass in a toast. "To Bailey, the uptight rule-follower who's managed to capture Logan Atwood’s attention. May she continue to keep him on his toes."
I am starting to get antsy at the bar, feeling like I need a rush of excitement. A hit of adrenaline. "Hey... you up for something different tonight?"
Steve looks confused. "Like what?"
"Like... stand-up comedy... I heard the Laugh Factory has a show tonight. Could be fun."
"Comedy? You want to go laugh at other people's jokes?"
"Why not? Might be a good change from the usual."
"Alright, why not?" He finally gives in.
"Let's go see if these comedians can make Logan the Great laugh."
* * *
We stepinto the Laugh Factory, a low-key comedy club in the city. And the place buzzing with quiet chatter. As we swirl around through the crowd, I have my eyes on the lookout.
We pass by all sorts of characters. A redheaded girl clutching her date's arm, looking like she is going to shit herself. A group of guys that look like they are there for a bachelor party. All the usual suspects of a comedy show. I take in a deep breath and look over to the left.
Ahhh. There she is.
A familiar face in the distance. It's Bailey with a tall red head by her side—Rachel, I think her name is. They're both doubled over with laughter, glasses in their hands. I can't help but stare at Bailey, watching her laugh, unguarded.
“There she is. That’s Bailey.” I nod Steve in the direction I am looking.
"You knew she'd be here, didn't you?" Steve's voice cuts through my thoughts, pulling my focus away from Bailey.
"What? No," I lie, my eyes reluctantly shifting back to him. "Alright, fine... I overheard her talking about it at the office earlier. I thought it might be... interesting to see her outside work."
Steve's smirk widens into a full-blown grin. "Well, well, well. Look who was exactly fucking right." He brushes his shoulders off, proud of his accurate assumptions.
I think back to earlier today at work and look back at Steve. "I asked her. I asked her to have dinner with me."
The words hang in the air for a moment. And then Steve's laughter fills the room, echoing off the walls. "Wait, wait, wait," he gasps between laughs. "You're telling me that she turned you down? Logan, who's never been denied a date in his life, got turned down?" He howls with more laughter, his face turning red. "No wonder she's got you all riled up."
Ouch. What was that?
