Page 31 of The Bet
Once they got to the waterfall, they walked around for about a quarter of an hour, maybe half an hour max, before heading back.
He returned having no idea why she had asked him to come along in the first place. Because clearly, she had no desire for him to be here, and it confused the hell out of him. He thought he was onto something. He thought this was going to be easy enough—this bet, when he woke up this morning and remembered what he had done.
But he could win her over. Of course he could. And having her ask him to come with them for the day had surprised him. She’s come to her senses, he’d thought. But no. The whole time it had been like trying to have a conversation with a mannequin. Maybe she was jealous about Kay. Some chicks got jealous over nothing, maybe Jacob’s babysitter was one of them.
She was going to be a tough one to crack, and it was something he wasn’t used to—having women not be won over by his charms. It might have been different had she been friendly and had showed even an iota of interest in him.
Still, he thrived on a challenge.
And he was more eager than ever to win this one.
He recounted his woes to Luke later that evening, as he sat at the bar after the huge evening dinner that had lasted close to two hours.
It had been the last of the wedding festivities. More drink, more food, more music and dancing. Earlier in the day Tobias had arranged for the guests to go snorkeling and sailing. Later that afternoon, he had arranged for them to go parachute gliding from the air into the sea. There was enough to do to keep the guests entertained, and plenty of time for Tobias and Savannah to spend with everyone.
“It’s not going to be easy,” he said, contemplating the scale of the challenge that lay ahead of him.
“What’s that?” Luke asked. For a change, he was on the other side of the bar, taking it easy, and mingling like a guest instead of working.
“Winning the bet.”
Luke almost choked. “Are you still seriously considering that?”
“We placed a bona fide bet. Don’t you remember?”
“I remember, but you’d had a few drinks by then, and I thought you were kidding.”
“You don’t think I can do it?”
“What’s this going to prove?” Luke asked.
“That Xavier-The-Stud-Stone still has it.” That he hadn’t lost his touch. That he wasn’t second best.
“Seriously?Andthis is how you’re going to prove it?”
“Absa-fucking-lutely.”
Luke folded his arms across his chest. “It doesn’t seem right, trying to convince that girl to go out with you especially when I don’t think she actuallylikesyou. You can’t force someone to click with you, and you sure as hell can’t force someone to fall into bed with you.”
“I’ve never had to try too hard before.” It wasn’t often that women turned him down.
“That’s because of your Stone name, and your good looks, and your money has helped you”
“Fuck, dude.” Xavier couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “I thought you were supposed to be my friend.”
“Iamyour friend, and I’m telling you as a friend.” Luke rested his beer bottle on his thigh. “You’re a good looking guy, and you can have any girl you want.”
“Except for that one.” He nodded over in the distance, where Izzy and Jacob sat around a table with Savannah.
Luke looked over. “That’s what I mean. You’re probably not her type, and I don’t think she’s your type. You don’t need to place this lousy $10K bet to prove anything.”
Oh, but he did. What Luke had said to him just now, about the Stone name and the money pissed him off. It made him want to prove it all the more. “I like a challenge.”
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Luke warned, when he didn’t reply.
“I’m not a pervert.”
A short while later, he walked over to the table where Izzy was but, no sooner had he approached the table, than Izzy and Jacob left.
