Page 41 of Tinder Embrace
Sophie: Ouch.
Gwen: So, yeah. Totally free. Pick me up?
Grinning, I grabbed my purse and headed out. Maybe it wasn't the evening I'd envisioned, but good girlfriends were a better bet for long-term happiness anyway. Longing for Davis was getting me nowhere. His affection was just as elusive as the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Until he could show me he was serious about turning our relationship into more than a flirtation, I was better off flying solo.
Maybe that was the hurt talking, but I deserved more than a man who bailed and dismissed my offer to reschedule. If I put my whole heart into someone, it didn’t seem like it was asking too much for consideration in return. I’d hoped I was slowly chipping away at Davis’s shell, getting to the man underneath. But if I’d been fooling myself, it was better to learn that now, before my heart was irrevocably his.
Caring too much for Davis wasn’t the safe choice, and it was time to remember that. He’d just proven he could turn on me at any time. Giving too much, too soon was a sure recipe for a broken heart.
Chapter 17
Sophie
Sing-along was packed by the time we arrived, but we lucked into a two-top near the bar.
"I'm buying; what'll you have?" I asked Gwen as she settled onto her barstool.
She'd donned a cute black shirt that showed off her chest, her hair swept up away from her face, highlighting her freckles and blue eyes. I’d changed into my favorite bright yellow sweater, the one cut with a broad neckline that exposed one shoulder. It helped me shake off the melancholy from Davis’s rejection. I was determined that Gwen and I have a good time.
"An IPA, please."
I slipped into line behind a woman I vaguely recognized as a parent from school, nodding my hello. That was the drawback of returning to Sing-along during more normal hours: running into parents. For some reason, it was always awkward running into families outside of school. Maybe it had something to do with the way they still called me Ms. Dunham.
"Sophie, I didn't expect to see you here."
The soft masculine voice startled me, and I turned.
Dallas Lachman grinned from his spot behind me. Blond and beefy, he towered over most the crowd, dressed in slacks and a thin sweater that clung to his chest. He was handsome in his own way, even if my heart whispered that he wasn't Davis.
"Hey, Dallas. How are you?"
"Better now that you're here."
I bit back my groan. Dallas was cute but still not my type, even if he weren't Taylor's dad.
"What's Taylor up to tonight?" I asked, hoping to divert him from any attempts at flirting.
"My mom and dad are watching him. What about you? Are you here with anyone?"
"Gwen and I are out for a girls’ night."
Thankfully, the line moved forward, and I was able to place my order with Trina, avoiding any additional attempts at flirting.
"I've got it," Dallas murmured as I offered my card for the tab, extending his long arm to the bartender over mine.
I stiffened and forced a grin. "That's sweet of you to offer, Dallas, but I've got to earn my airline miles somehow, right?" I included Trina in my smile.
She was much better at reading the room than Dallas, and swiftly accepted my card. "Stories over stuff,amiright?" Trina winked. "Keep it open, hon?"
I nodded. "Thanks, Trina. Nice to see you, Dallas," I said breezily, focused on returning to Gwen without spilling our drinks.
"Dallas trying to convince you to go back to his place, let him show you his tuber?" Gwen asked, taking a quick sip of her beer to cover her smile.
Scrunching my face, I shook my head. "Gwennie, come on, tuber? When a-peeling was right there?"
Any hopes for a peaceful girls' night when up in flames at the familiar voice.
"Hi, Zander," I said wryly to the big man who'd appeared behind Gwen's stool between blinks. For someone so large, he sure could move fast.
