Page 51 of The Bet
And now that he was here, did he really need to put himself through this? A glance around The Oasis showed him that he was surrounded by beautiful women. He only had to walk into this place, or its sister club in the basement, and he could get the number of at least five women by the time the night was over.
Why was he busting his balls over a college girl? Laronde didn’t know a good thing when she saw it—but maybe that was part of the allure that stopped him from walking away completely?
“She’s complicated, or she hates the sight of you?” Luke asked, digging deeper. It was spooky how spot on Luke could be at times.
“She’s at college most of the day, and the only time I can see her is with Jacob. I spent yesterday having lunch with the kid’s grandparents.”
“There’s commitment for you.” Luke looked suitably impressed. “But, if you want out, pal, that’s fine. Just admit it, there are some girls who you can’t win.”
The hell he would, especially now that Luke had given him the option to quit. To take it would be the easy way out, and Luke and Tobias already thought he always took the easy way out, in most things.
“I’m not giving up.”
“It doesn’t sound as if you’re getting anywhere because, if you were you wouldn’t be here now talking about it.”
“It’s only been a week since we got back.”
“Does she actually like you?”
“Likeis too strong a word.”
“No shit.”
“She hasn’t fully appreciated my charms.”
Luke massaged the back of his neck. “If she doesn’t, you need to accept that you’re not god’s gift to women, and move on.”
“I’m growing on her.”
“You’regrowingon her? You mean like mold?” Luke chuckled, and it pissed Xavier off even more.
“She’s interested. She just doesn’t know it yet.” Of that he was confident. Izzy Laronde was too bogged down in her day-to-day crap that she wouldn’t know a good thing if it snuck into her bed and made her come all night.
“You’re struggling to get anywhere with her, aren’t you?” He hated it when Luke guessed correctly.
“No.”
“I don’t believe it.” The wide grin on Luke’s face made him want to punch him. “You’ve finally found a girl who’s not interested in you, and you can’t take it.”
It might be a tiny bit true, but he was going to fix it.
It was rare that he met a girl who showed such open disdain for him. Sure, he’d been in the situation many a time, when girls were plainly interested, and he wasn’t. Heck, he’d even been in the situation wheremorethan one girl had been interested. Three had been his limit—so far—three girls all interested in him at the same time. It had been one heck of a crazy time. Two nights of debauchery in a Las Vegas hotel. Fun, pure and filthy.
But Izzy wasn’t one of those virginal, sweeter than honey girls either. There was fire in her, he could sense it from her bubblegum to her ripped jeans and her attitude. Hewasmaking progress, but it was slow.
He needed more time.
“She is interested, but she doesn’t know it, yet.”
“Doesn’t know it yet?” Luke repeated, slowly, as if he was thinking it over. “Is she allergic to your charm, or does she just find your pick-up lines offensive?”
He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m not used to dealing with college students. I barely know anything about her.”
“That’s never stopped you before.”
He shrugged. “She doesn’t drink, either.” Because usually, a couple of glasses of age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon or Pouilly-Fuissé would have lowered her steel defenses a heck of a time sooner.
“You’re going to have to try some different moves,” Luke suggested. “You’re going to have to woo her another way.”
