Page 12 of Game Changer

Be as forthcoming with her, too.

He laughed, “I like your voice, too.”

“Chelsea said you’re not looking for this to be anything more than a friendship.” She paused suddenly sounding unsure and leaving an expectant silence between them and yawned again.

Wow. Again. Talk about getting straight to the point.

“She said that?”

He heard her sigh heavily. “She did. She said, that Jeremy told her, that you told him, that you weren’t looking for anything serious. It’s like a fucked-up game of Chinese Whispers… She said, that he said, that your break-up with Ange has left you, and I’m quoting here, ‘a heart-broken, woman-hating mule’.”

He couldn’t help but laugh, “What the hell is Chinese whispers?”

“Eh, what is it you people call it? Telephone?

“Ah. Gotcha. Y’all are weird. Yeah, they’re not wrong. She’s definitely left me a bit cautious. I like you too, though. I don’t like the idea of you being in the friend-zone. If you lived here, I’d have probably tried to kiss you by now.”

He could almost feel her cheeks heating up through the phone.

“I’d have let you,” she answered quietly.

AJ what the hell are you doing? What about Britt? You’re supposed to marry her tomorrow!

Chapter 3

“You know you don’t have to do this, right? Please tell me you know that you don’t have to do this?”

Jeremy and AJ sat at a set of traffic lights on their way to city hall for AJ to marry Britt.

“I do have to, Jer. I really do. I promised her. She’s made plans. She’s counting on me. I can’t back out now.”

What he means is he doesn’t think you SHOULD do this.

He’s also probably not wrong. But you promised Britt that you would.

What about Lisa?

“What about Lisa?”

If you could stop vocalizing my internal monologue, that’d be peachy.

AJ sighed deeply. “What about her?”

“Don’t fob me off, man. I know you. You have feelings for her. It’s gone way past just talking to some random girl on the internet. She’s under your skin and if she lived closer, she’d already be all-the-way under you.”

AJ stayed quiet, so Jeremy continued.

“I know it’s only been a few weeks, but you talk to her every day. You wake up and message her. You talk to her between classes, hell, eveninclass. You call her before she goes to bed every night. This isnotjust some girl on the internet anymore. You’re not talking to her so I can talk to Chels. And, even if you don’t grow old and wrinkly with this Lisa chick, you’re going to grow old and wrinkly withsomeoneand that someone isnotBritt. Please reconsider this, man. Please? I’m pretty sure it’s a terrible mistake.”

“I can’t, Jer,” AJ answered quietly. “I’m falling for Lisa, don’t get me wrong. In fact, I’m probably just in denial and am already there. I’m past liking her, that much I know for sure. And yeah, it’s an absolutely crappy situation, but it’s only for a few years, right?”

“Are you listening to the words coming out of your mouth? You’re givingyearsof your life away to a woman who’s in a committed relationship with another man. Who, might I add, I’m completely sure he is gay – and nothing you say can convince me otherwise. Also, you have a beautiful woman who, and I know it’s really early days yet, but I’m pretty sure if you asked, she’d marry you in a heartbeat.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’mnotbeing ridiculous, Age. There’s something between you guys. I’ve never witnessed anything like it. It’s so obvious there’s something and if you ignore it and go ahead with this thing with Britt, you’re both going to end up hurt. I love you, man. But there’s no way in hell I’d marry you. I’d let them deport your ass.” He grinned. “Seriously though, you’ve got maybe two minutes ‘til we get to the courthouse. Please re-think this insanity. You know I’m down for some crazy shit, but I can’t, in good conscience, say I’m on board with this. And you shouldn’t be either. You’re marrying the first woman, and expecting the second woman to be cool with it, that’s some fucked-up shit right there.”

“It’s done, Jer. I have to follow through with it. She’ll get kicked out of the country if I don’t. I can’t do that. I promised her. It may not be a marriage of love, but I did vow to her that I’d help her out and I take that pretty seriously.”

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