Page 15 of Crave Thy Neighbor

He says my last name like a cuss word. He only calls me Brooks when he’s annoyed with me.

I don’t have the mental capacity to deal with it right now.

“Here you go.” Donny slides River’s and Maya’s drinks toward us. “Let me grab your beers.”

Dean’s eyes are trained on the two drinks sitting in front of us.

“Sure fucking looks like nothing,” Dean mutters.

He’s well aware I only ordered one.

He’s wondering how Donny knows what Maya was drinking.

Donny sets our bottles down, and I tell him to put them on my tab.

Dean pushes away from the counter, his and River’s drinks in his hands.

With a sigh, I follow him.

This night just got a hell of a lot more interesting.

3

Maya

“So what happened to the hottie?” River asks the moment we’re alone. “Did you get his number?”

I shot off a text to her in the bathroom telling her about the hot guy I met and how I had every intention of getting his number. What I didn’t mention is if my kid hadn’t called to interrupt us, I’d have gone home with Nolan tonight.

Nolan who is Brooks.

Dean’s best friend.

Just my luck that the first guy who so much as glances my way since my divorce ends up beingcompletelyoff limits.

“Nah,” I tell her. “He was gone by the time I got out of the bathroom.”

She frowns. “Boo. Men suck.”

She launches into a story about something that happened with a customer at the boutique today. I should be paying attention since I’m an investor and employee of said store, but I can’t.

My mind is running a mile a minute thinking of all the ways this night almost went to hell because I was going to be impulsive for the first time in forever.

I should have known better.

The last time I was impulsive, I lost my virginity in the back seat of a rusty Grand Marquis.

I got zero orgasms and pregnant.

“Ha! I knew it!” River says, setting her phone back down on the table.

Her excitement draws my attention.

“Caroline?” I ask.

“Yep. She and Cooper are going to stay in tonight.”

She bounces her brows up and down, and jealousy zings through me again.

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