Page 44 of Actually Yours

“Hi, Bella. What are you guys doing here?”

Her face drops. “Amelia called me….” She trails off, biting her lip, giving her friend a querying look.

“I called her because my date didn’t show up tonight and I needed to be rescued. And then I needed a drink.”

My hands clench into a fist. Amelia’s cheeks are tinged in pink and her eyes are watering and I can feel the hurt rolling off her.She was stood up? What is wrong with these men?

“Here, Millie. The drink I promised you.”

She takes the elaborate-looking cocktail from her friend, her pink tongue peeking out to lap at the cream on the top.

“Hmmm, so good.”

My gut tightened and I lose what’s left of my breath. She’s so effortlessly sexy, it’s a pure miracle that she’s ever spent a minute single.

“So, what happened tonight?” I ask Bella. Amelia looks too happy slurping at her frothy drink. I don’t want to disturb her.

“I’m not sure,” Bella shrugs. “She called me about an hour after her date was supposed to start and said he hadn’t turned up. What a jerk.”

“I thought you said no more dates,” I growl at Amelia, my anger at the unknown doctor boiling to the surface. Sure, he probably saves lives for a living, but at this moment I’m just about ready to end his.

“I did. And I was done,” she says, taking the cherry from the bottom of her glass and sucking on it briefly.God, she’s killing me.“But then Amy said she’s got this perfect guy from the hospital who she’s dying for me to meet. She begged me to go out with him. And now she’s dead to me.”

Bella takes her empty cocktail glass from her hand and replaces it with another one. A pink concoction this time.

“I’m sure he’s a good guy. He’s a doctor who’s probably on call and something must have come up,” Bella offers with a weak smile.

“Nope.”

I say this so loudly that several people around us stop their conversation to give me a side glance. To be fair, I do sound pretty angry.

“No,” I repeat, keeping my voice softer this time. “Do not excuse this behaviour. Amelia deserves more than this. She deserves better.”

Amelia’s already pink cheeks shine brighter and Bella’s smile grows more knowing.

Gulp.

“You’re right, Jake. Amelia deserves the best. Dr. Dave is a jerk, and he’s best forgotten.”

The two women cheers, vigorously and somewhat drunkenly.Maybe I need to get them some water?

“I’m done with men,” Amelia yells, garnering protests from the men behind her. Like they ever had a chance with her. “I’m going to get a cat. Maybe two cats!”

Bella’s face visibly pales. “Let’s not go crazy, Millie. Remember all the plants you killed? Cats need even more care.”

Her friend pouts back at her and I refrain from reaching out and tucking her under my arm, while promising to buy her all the cats.

“Well, I need something. Clearly, men aren’t for me…” she trails off, her unfocused eyes shadowed with sadness.

“You don’t need to decide right now.” I stroke her arm, feeling goose-pimples bloom on her skin under my hand. “Maybe you just need to stop with the dating plan. Let a relationship happen naturally?”

She taps her finger on her bottom lip, thinking. “Nah, I’m done.”

She slumps into the barstool next to her and Bella gives her a hug. “Let’s wait until we have clearer heads in the morning before deciding.”

Amelia gives a stubborn shake of her head. “Bella, I’ll never have what you have with Daniel. There’s something wrong with me…I mean, even my dad didn’t love me enough to stay.”

I freeze, my heart pounding at this sad confession.

---