Page 36 of Game Changer

He put his beer down on the bar and made a beeline for their table. “Watch Chris, don’t let him do anything stupid!” he instructed Jeremy.

“No promises!”

“Hey,” he began.

“Hey,” said Stephanie, glaring.

“Hi,” answered Chelsea.

“Pim?”

Why did that sound like a question? Ugh, I’ve seen that look before. She’s going to kick my ass.

Not that you don’t deserve it.

“Hello,” Lisa answered, avoiding his eyes.

Ouch. Please look at me.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked her.

Please say yes.

“Actually,” she stood up and grabbed her bag. “I was just going to head back to the hotel, I think my jet-lag is getting the better of me.”

Follow her!He thought as she strode past him.Is she drunk? Or at least tipsy. She’s a bit wobbly.

He was a few feet behind her and when he got outside, he found her sitting on a step.

Is she going to hurl? Why is she breathing like that? Is she that upset? Do you blame her? Stop talking in your goddamn head and talk to her.

“Forget the way?” he asked her, suddenly feeling hurt that she’d intended to leave without talking to him first.Dude, she flew across the world, you bailed on her and she has no idea why.

Without turning around she replied, “No, I’m just getting some air before I go back to the hotel.”

“Got a minute?” Not waiting for a reply, he sat down beside her. “You look good,” he said softly.

“Thanks.”

Not gonna make this easy for me, are you?

I guess I deserve that.

Taking a deep breath, he slid closer towards her until they were sitting side by side and their clothes were touching.Do you think she feels like this when you touch, too?

“I’m sorry,” he began quietly. “It was important, he–”

“Important?” she repeated. “Did somebody die?”

“No.”

“Heobviouslyhasn’t lost a limb,” she paused and pretended to think. “Internal bleeding?”

“No.”

“Terminal disease?”

Christ, she’s really not letting up. Yes, she flew in from Ireland and it was shitty of me to ditch her. But my friend just got cheated on. And not for nothin’, Lis, but questioning whether it’s important for me to be there for a buddy is a little selfish… Even though Iwasusing it as an out as well.

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