Page 35 of Game Changer

He took a drink of his beer and signaled the bartender for another round.

Go big or go home, right?

Jeremy leaned in and spoke quietly in his ear. “Go easy there, eh Pim? You can’t drink away the guilt you know.”

AJ glared at him in reply and finished the last of his beer just as the bartender brought his next one. He handed the bottles to Chris and Jer as Chris spoke, “To cheating bitches. May she rot in hell.”

Not quite the words of Shakespeare, but it definitely gets the point across.

“Shit.”

AJ heard Jeremy swear, but ignored him.

I’m not a teenager, Jer. I know how to handle my drink. I don’t need you to lecture me on how quickly I’m drinking my beer.

“Ow!” AJ gasped as something hard struck him in his ribs. As he rubbed at his side, he realized that Jeremy’s elbow had been the offending weapon. “What the hell, man?”

“Lisa!” Jeremy hissed.

“Lisa?”

Jeremy indicated to the bar with his head.

Fuck. She’s here.

She looks amazing, too,his thoughts started to wander when she stared at him.

She looked straight through you, man. She’s clearly pissed. Can you blame her? You stood her up for your first date to help Mr. Heartbroken here have a drunken pity party.

Oh and don’t forget, you’re avoiding being seen in public with her. Like the grown-ass man you are.

“Should I go say something?”

“I dunno, Pim. She acted like she didn’t even know you. Not that you can blame her. You stood her up after she flew all the way from Ireland to see you.”

“I don’t need salt in the wound, Jer.”

“Just sayin’. You deserve the ‘tude.”

Is that bartender flirting with her? Why won’t he take her money?

He felt anger surge in his stomach.

Step-off, Brad. She’s mine.

Is she? If she was yours wouldn’t you be at a romantic dinner together right now?

AJ glared at Brad as Lisa walked back towards her table.

Shit,his cheeks began to warm.Great. Now they all know I’m here. Is that Ana? Crap. She’s going to kill me.

‘Don’t you dare break her heart,’ Ana had said. Do you think standing her up for our first date would have broken her heart? Why does Ana give a shit, anyway? She never cares about my girlfriends.

He glanced over at Lisa sitting with her friends and his sister and felt sadness wash over him.You’re pretty heartbroken over it, so I imagine she’s probably not feeling much differently right now, either.

She looks like she’s gearing up to leave? Why is she leaving? Where are you going?

You’re a jerk and she’s running the hell away from you, that’s where she’s going.

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