Page 21 of Learning Curve

“Yeah,” Travis says, holding up two hands.

“Fine,” Jack agrees.

“Finn Hayes. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” The distinctive voice is as aggressive as always, and my balls make a bid to climb halfway inside my body as I turn in the direction of it.

Dressed in a pair of cutoff jean shorts, cowgirl boots, and a crop top that barely covers her pushed-up tits, Sara Dean, my ex-girlfriend, flashes a flirtatious smile in my direction as she pushes through the door from underground and sashays toward us.

Son of a bitch. What a special hometown reunion this is turning out to be.

“Oh, by the way, Finn,” Jack whispers, “your ex-girlfriend is here tonight.”

Ace, the fucker, practically chokes on his own saliva, he laughs so hard.

I roll my eyes and force a neutral smile to my lips. “Hey, Sara.”

Her hip sway is obnoxious as she approaches our small group, and she doesn’t stop until she’s directly in front of me, so close her breasts brush against my chest. “That’s it? Just ‘Hey, Sara?’ C’mon, Finn. You’ve had your dick in me. Pretty sure I deserve at least a hug.”

I’m annoyed at her for saying that shit in front of my sister, but she doesn’t give me a choice, wrapping her hands around my shoulders and gripping tightly as she hugs me. Her face falls into a frown when I pull away sooner than she wants.

“Did you come to party?”

“No. Just here to get my brothers and sister.”

“Who are your friends?” she asks then, eyeing both Ace and Blake up and down. Sara loves attention, and if I’m not giving it to her, she’s willing to find it somewhere else.

“Ace, Blake, this is Sara.”

“Sara. Receiver of Finn’s dick. Got it,” Ace says, the shit-stirrer. I glance at him over my shoulder, the obvious context summed up in a glare. He raises both his hands, a picture of innocence. I shake my head.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Sara says to Blake specifically, and it comes out like a purr. She licks her lips. “Why don’t you come inside for a drink?”

Fuck no. It’s time to end this shit. “We can’t,” I interject.

“Why not, Finn?” she questions, stepping closer to me again. “It’s been a while since you and I have had some fun…”

A year ago, sadly, this shit would have worked on me. I was lonely enough and angry enough that wrapping myself up in Sara seemed as good an option as anything else.

But these days, for some reason, it doesn’t seem like enough.

“We gotta go. Sorry.”

She starts to open her mouth, but Ace surprises the hell out of me by cutting her off at the knees.

“While I’m always up for a good time, Sara, we need to head out.”

She pointedly looks at Blake, and he nods in agreement.

“Maybe some other time.”

“Boo.” Sara pouts. “You boys are boring.”

Thankfully, her best friend Maddie peeks her head out the door, shouting, “Sara! Get your bony ass in here! Rusty just bought a round of shots!” The call of alcohol on other people’s tabs is too strong for her to deny, and Sara heads back into the Grotto with a little wave and more flouncing of her ass.

“Sorry we didn’t give you a heads-up,” Jack comments immediately.

“Yeah, man,” Travis agrees. “She’s here all the time now. I think she’s still dating Zach King. You remember him?”

Of course I remember Zach King. He’s one of the biggest pricks who went to my high school and the first guy Sara fucked after we broke up. I don’t bother telling my group of current company that, though.

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