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“No! When have I ever wanted to date someone over doing something that pertained to my career? I thought you knew me better than that.”
He breathed out a silent sigh of relief for no other reason than he wasn’t prepared to watch her fall for someone that wasn’t him. If there was even a chance that she would stay in Rocky Ridge for a guy, he would want to be considered. Thankfully, that didn’t seem to be something that would happen any time soon.
Simon stole a glance at her and turned his focus to the road. “So, you used me as an excuse.”
“You mad?” She didn’t even try to lie about it.
He shook his head. “We’re always going to be there for each other, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
That was it, then. She trusted him. The only reason she’d called him was so he could rescue her from her meddling family.
The remainder of the drive passed in silence. She didn’t even look at her phone the whole way there. Then again, he wasn’t sure she hadn’t left it behind. The companionable silence was something he’d grown used to, though he couldn’t deny how nice it would have been to have her chatting about something. He loved the sound of her voice more than the country music stations she picked out.
When they got into town, she directed him to a used car lot where she assured him he’d get the best bang for his buck. He pulled into the parking lot and they both got out. Katrina gestured out at the sea of cars and trucks then beamed at him.
“See what I’m talking about? This is perfect. So many options to choose from.”
Just then, another car pulled in behind them. Simon squinted and his stomach dropped. It was Brianne. He glanced with confusion at Katrina.
She let out a laugh. “I told Brianne to meet us here so we could do something fun afterward. I feel like we’re not spending nearly enough time together since she started setting me up on those dates and I’ve been hanging with you in my spare time.”
“Yeah, that’s a great idea,” he lied. Car shopping with Katrina was one thing. But to have Brianne tag along made it not so great.
He refused to admit that he’d been hoping this was sort of like the date they’d never had before. Because he wasn’t going to let his heart get broken.
Even still, he hated seeing her run across the lot to the other car and throw her arms around their friend. Heaving a disappointed sigh, Simon strode toward the small metal building on the far side of the property. All he had to do was get a truck that could tow a trailer. Nothing with bells and whistles.
By the time he had listed all the details of what he wanted to the salesman, Brianne and Katrina had made it to his side.
The salesman eyed the two women and winked at Simon. “Lucky you.”
Brianne and Katrina looked at each other and released the most embarrassingly loud laugh. “We’re not with him.” Brianne continued laughing. “We’re just friends.”
That was when Simon saw the amused sort of pity in the guy’s eyes. For a reason Simon didn’t quite understand, a flurry of frustration flooded his insides. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stared pointedly at the salesman. “Is there anything you have on this lot that fits my requirements?”
“Right. Of course, young man. Follow me.” The man led the way, followed by Simon and finally the two women, who were laughing and talking quietly. It wasn’t helping his case one iota. If he’d been here with Katrina all on her own, he might have been able to make it seem like they were together and he was a calm, capable individual who knew what he wanted and how to get it.
As it stood, he was having a hard time not reading into every look this guy was shooting in their direction.
“We’ve been friends since grade school. We’re just meeting up for dinner. You know, to catch up,” Simon clarified. He didn’t know if the guy would respond or if he would even care at this point. For now, Simon just wanted the salesman to stop gawking at him like he was the guy’s next mark.
They stopped by a white Ford that was covered in rust.
Brianne scrunched up her face and looked toward Simon with disdain. “You’re not gonna get this, are you? It looks like it belongs in a junk yard.”
Simon shot a wary eye toward the salesman, who seemed to also be curious whether Simon would close the deal. Great. If he thought Simon could be swayed, he might take all three of them to something newer. The price on the truck was reasonable as long as it had everything Simon needed. He just wished the girls would walk away so he could have the discussion in private.
He shot them a look he prayed they’d understand. Brianne’s expression was blank, but Katrina came to the rescue.
“Hey, Brianne, let’s go look at those coupes.” She wheeled her friend away and for the second time that day, she winked at Simon.
“Yeah, sure there’s nothing going on.” The sales guy nudged Simon briefly. “I can see it. There’s absolutely something there.”
“Lucky for me, I didn’t come here to talk about my love life. So how about you give me the information you have on this truck.”
CHAPTERFIVE
