Page 74 of The Bet
“How the hell would you know?”
“Because I’ve seen you meet someone here for the first time, and then walk away with her less than 30 minutes later. I’ve seen you do that, here, with my own eyes.” He pointed at his eyes with his fingers as if to emphasize the point. “And if you haven’t even gotten to first base after what, six, maybe eight weeks, I don’t think you stand any chance. I don’t think she likes you. Just face it, pal. You’re not her type. You might even be too old for her.”
He gave Luke the middle finger. “I’m twenty-fucking-seven. I’m in my prime, and I’m making progress, and that’s all you need to know.”
“Fine. As long as you know what you’re doing, and it isn’t illegal.”
“It isn’t.” He looked away, letting the awkwardness of the moment pass. “Savannah’s cousin was here.” He looked back at Luke. “You remember her, don’t you? Kay?”
“Yeah, I remember her.”
“I think she’s pissed off with me.”
“Pissed off withyou?”
He finger-tapped the table. “She was standoff-ish when I ran into her downstairs. Didn’t want to talk to me.”
“No?”
“She’s pissed I never called her.” Chicks could be funny like that.
“Is that what she told you?”
“She didn’t need to. I could tell.”
“Were you supposed to call her?” Luke asked, leaning forwards and picking up his beer bottle.
“They all expect you to, don’t they?”
Luke shrugged but didn’t say anything.
“Except for you, Mr. Ice-Cold and Doesn’t-Give-A-Fuck.” That’s what Luke had always been like.
“Are you going to call her?” Luke asked.
“She’s not my type,” he shot back.
“Is Jacob’s babysitter your type?”
He thought about it. Laronde, at first glance, wasn’t his type. He probably wouldn’t have noticed her in a group of women, but now that he was taking the time and getting to know her, he was discovering things about her that were intriguing. She was like a mystery he was slowly unraveling. Physically, he liked a handful of butt and breast, and she had neither in the size he preferred. And he hadn’t yet been able to get his hands on either of those; he was beginning to doubt that he ever would. But there was nothing that a good push-up bra couldn’t salvage, and as long as there was a mouthful, he wasn’t going to complain too much. She had the sass that made up for her physical shortcomings.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you don’t have anything to prove.”
He disagreed. “We have a love-hate thing going. It’s always the prelude to better things.”
“Love-hate? It’s been hate-hate each time I hear from you.”
“She’s working for me now.”
“Seriously?” Luke gave him an incredulous stare. “How the hell did you manage that? Wasn’t she was working for Savannah and looking after the little boy?”
“Savannah wants to spend time with the kid, and she didn’t need Izzy so much yet, and what with her being a student and needing funds and all that, I came to the rescue.”
“Galloping along on your big white stallion, no doubt.”
“Chicks love being rescued.”
“Izzy doesn’t strike me as that type of girl.” Luke was right. Laronde didn’t seem the rescuing type at all.
