Page 23 of No Interest in Love

“You didn’t have to.”

We get about another fourth of a mile before headlights beam bright up ahead.

“I got this one,” Shay says, pushing her arms through the overlarge sleeves.

“But it’s my turn,” I say, but she’s already fluffing her hair, straightening her back, and marching out into the road. I stand back, since letting her try is probably the quickest way to get a ride. “I’ve got a better shot with the truckers. You should let me have them,” Shay said when I tried to wave down a semi about an hour ago. But here we are, still walking along an abandoned side road somewhere between LA and Vegas.

The giant Walmart truck zooms by, the driver completely ignoring Shay’s Korean obscenities. I get another roundhouse kick in my gut because it’s the most unattractive thing…that I’m findingunbelievablyattractive. Must be the dry spell.

“Well, he was going the wrong way anyway,” she says, sticking her arms back in the sleeves and trudging back to me.

“I think a ride anywhere would be nice right about now.”

“We’re not arguing, remember.”

“You’re right,” I say like a jackass, but I don’t give a shit. “I’d much rather walk another five miles in the right direction than take a lift to anywhere with a phone.”

Her lips purse and she keeps her eyes straight ahead. “That’s the spirit.”

She lengthens her stride, and I let her take the lead. My feet are starting to ache, and it’s mostly from the dampness of my socks. I imagine my toes are looking well above the age of eighty right about now. Maybe I should’ve stood under the hand dryer.

Dammit, it’s not like I’mnormallysuch a whiny son of a bitch, but (a) I haven’t eaten anything since that coffee this morning, if that even counts (right now I’m the definition ofhangry), (b) I haven’t slept all that much in the past twenty-four hours, and (c)I need some action. I remember once overhearing Liz talking to her best friend, Theresa, right before she tied the knot with Landon. “Guys are easy to please,” she said. “They just need sleep, sex, and food, and they’re good to go.” I sort of laughed at her reasoning, but now I’m thinking that girl is one hell of a smart woman.

“So how long has it been?” Shay says, and I furrow my brow at her. Have I gone delirious and spoken out loud?

“Um, huh?”

She drops her gaze to the road, keeping her eyes on our moving feet. “Since you’ve had sex.”

“A while.”

A small laugh parts her lips, but she doesn’t prod at my vagueness.

“So was that a girlfriend or just a one-night thing?”

What in the…“Is this your idea of small talk? You want to know about my sex life?”

“I’m bored. And considering I’m about to majorly help you in that department, I’m curious why it’s so important to you, yes.”

“It’s sex.”

“Therefore, important?”

“Yeah.” I give her a sideways glance. “Do I need a better reason?”

She takes a deep breath, shivering a bit before blowing into her cupped hands. “I think there’s more to it, but whatever.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Like someone broke your heart and you’re looking for a noncommitted fling so you don’t get hurt again.”

Damn. “You’re close.” I smile. “But that only counts in horseshoes.”

“Where did I get it wrong?” she asks with an arrogant tilt of her eyebrow.That’s damn adorable, too,I think before I shake my head to get rid of the thought.

Thing is…she’s mostly right. Someone got hurt, and it was my fault.

I was working at a small theater as an understudy, and Penny Shaw was a girl who lived down the hall from me. I used to trick her into coming to the playhouse just in case I was the one performing that night, and after about the fifth invite, she showed up. I never did need to take over for the original cast, but despite not showing off my mad skills as an actor, I got laid anyway.

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