Page 9 of Playbook
“Come on. Enough moping around. I know just the place to take weddings and ex-boyfriends off your mind.” Alec takes the glass from my lips and pulls it away carefully. “Go get ready.”
“I’m not up for people-ing tonight.”
“You always say that. It’ll be fun, and I’m not taking no for an answer.” He stands and takes our glasses and the vodka to the kitchen. I lie back on the treadmill. It smells like rubber and dust. Gross. But I don’t move.
The next thing I know, Alec is standing over me, grabbing my hands, and pulling me up to my feet. The room spins a little.
With a laugh, Alec steadies me by placing both hands on my shoulders.
“Change of plans. I’m taking you to dinner. We need to soak up some of the alcohol in your system.”
“What was the other plan?”
“Drinks with some people from the station.”
Alec and I work together at a local news station. I’m a graphic designer and he does the morning weather. He’s way higher up on the social ladder at work, well really everywhere. He has friends at work; I have colleagues. I’m the only woman in my department and going out with them always feels a little forced and awkward. Whereas Alec has a wide variety of people that adore him and are always inviting him out.
“You don’t need any more booze. You need a night of dancing and mingling with hot strangers. Chris is an idiot and frankly, you could do way better.”
“I told him I was seeing someone.” One side of my mouth lifts in a grin. “He was baiting me and the next thing I knew…it just popped out. And he looked so relieved, like he was glad that I wasn’t waiting around for him.”
“Maybe he wants you to be happy now that he’s found his model do-gooder girlfriend. He could be a changed man.” The smile Alec gives me tells me he doesn’t believe that.
“I am happy. And I sort of have someone.”
Alec cocks his head to the side.
“Luke,” I remind him.
At the mention of my occasional, no-frills hookup, Alec shoots me a disapproving smirk that makes him look like trouble.
“What? Are you going to tell me it doesn’t count because it’s just sex?”
“I would never utter the words ‘just sex,’ but come on, Luke? That guy is not for you.”
“So he lives with three other guys and his job sucks and he smells a little like garlic even first thing in the morning.” With every word I say, Alec’s expression just gets smugger. “He is a nice guy and we have fun together.”
Or we did. He started seeing someone else recently and they must be getting more serious because I haven’t heard from him in at least two weeks.
“The bar is so low I don’t even know what to do with you.” He pats me on the top of the head.
He’s not wrong, but dating is exhausting and I’m already busy. Luke is all the effort I can manage right now. However, a night out sounds fun. “I did get new shoes today.”
“Perfect. As long as they aren’t sneakers, put them on and let’s do this night up right. The first step to turning around any bad day is moping.” Alec looks me up and down. “Now that we’ve checked that off the list, it’s time to move on to partying to forget.”
That’s not my style, it’s his, but for one night I think I can get on board, so I nod.
“Are you good?” he asks. “Really? Is this a Paige-level crisis?”
Paige is my best friend in the whole world so I did considertexting her after brunch, but I knew she’d be busy. Plus I just kind of wanted to wallow for a bit. “It’s Saturday.”
“And on Saturdays she’s not available for crises?” he asks quizzically.
“Sex Saturday. They never make plans after five. I think they even turn their phones off.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
Oops. I don’t think that’s something I should have shared. I shake my head like I’m not going to tell him.
