Page 10 of Love or Leave

Cara nodded. "I bought the tickets for his birthday, and after I broke up with him he asked for the tickets, but because I’m being a spiteful bitch I said no. I was going to sell them, but I met this new guy—Jalen—at golf, and he's going to be there so I want to go to see him, but obviously I can't go with Cooper, and I'd rather die than go to a concert alone, so will you come?"

She gasped for breath as Jer’s mouth dropped open.

He blinked. Paused. Then blinked again.

"Golf?"

She threw up her hands. "That'swhat you latched on to?"

Jer snorted. "Everything tracks but the golf."

"Ugh," she said with an eye roll. "Will you come with me? Please?"

"I would, but I can't," he said, moving the filled beer glasses onto a tray and placing a paper ticket on the tray with them. "Willow's still trying to hire someone, and I'm all she's got right now."

Cara slumped over onto the bar. Her temples throbbed.

"Just ask Max."

"Cooper is a trigger word for him," she said, her voice muffled by her folded arms.

"What about Willow?"

"I need a boy. I told Jalen my friend is a him."

Jer snorted as the door opened and Max and Antonio walked in. He leaned in close to Cara and whispered, "You could always ask Dr. McDreamSteam."

She picked her head up and fought the urge to look over her shoulder at the door. "He's outta my league."

Jer launched himself backwards in mock offence. "And I'm not?"

Cara rolled her eyes. "Of course you are. But it's different. He and I are… awkward," she said, dropping her head. "I shouldn't have asked him out."

"You asked him out?!"

She took in Jer's shocked face. "Only sort of. I said we should play poker, and he told me he's staying married. It was weird."

Jer looked like he wanted to say something, but he plastered on a bright face instead and looked over her head. She swiveled on the stool and found Max and his annoyingly attractive, perfectly bone-structured friend standing right behind her.

"I wasn't expecting you," Max said as he gave her a half hug. "It's cold."

Cara rolled her eyes. "I occasionally do the unexpected."

"No, you don't," Max said.

She huffed an annoyed breath. "I actually needed to see you," she said, leaning past him, trying for a casual wave. "Hi, Antonio."

Antonio smiled and waved back, then casually settled his tall frame onto the stool next to her, but not before discreetly sliding it away from her a little.

Why did he do that? Did she smell? Did he hate her? Did she make him so horribly uncomfortable when she suggested thepoker date, and now he can't stand being close to her?Did she even intend for it to be a date? Was she the only one being weird about this?

She settled the panicky thoughts with a deep exhale. Here she was spiralling while he probably hadn't given their interaction a second thought. She'd dissected every syllable of their conversation. She'd talked herself into being proud that she'd made a bold move, even though she’d initially wanted to crawl in a hole somewhere. But maybe it hadn't been that bold.

It was hard to tell.

Things between her and Antonio differed from her and Max's other friends. Adam and Ethan would have both given her a hug or a smack on the back, or something. But she'd known them all her life. They were practically older brothers to her. Whereas she'd only met Antonio a few weeks ago.

While shit-faced.

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