Page 86 of Must Be Love - Irresistible Bachelors

“No, he didn’t. I didn’t get a chance to… It was something else. I’m telling you, it’s… There’s too much I can’t tell you.”

Nicole squeezes my hand. “We’re your best friends. You can tell us anything.”

I shake my head. “You don’t understand. This is really bad.”

“You’ll feel better if you tell us what happened. Don’t keep it inside. You’re driving yourself crazy.”

“I’m sorry, okay? I want to tell you; I just can’t. It’s not just about me. If you found out, it could mean the end of AJ’s career.”

“Are we supposed to care?” Tammy asks. “As far as we know, this man broke your heart. Why should we be concerned about his career?”

“Because I still care about him.”

“If that’s true, then whatever he did can’t be that bad.”

This is impossible. My friends can’t possibly understand the gravity of the situation if I don’t tell them, but I can’t tell them without risking AJ’s job. If AJ lost his license, then all the people who work for him would be out their jobs. I can’t be responsible for that.

“We’re supposed to be your best friends.”

I meet Nicole’s eyes and find hurt there, mixed with sadness.

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you. Just know that it’s over between AJ and me. The rest of it doesn’t matter.”

“It matters if it hurt you.”

I smile sadly. “I appreciate that, I do. But it’ll hurt me worse to tell you. There’s just too much at stake. Please, just understand that. If I could tell you without hurting a lot of people, including AJ, I would.”

“Okay,” Daisy concedes after a short pause. “But this isn’t over. You need to talk to us eventually, okay?”

I promise I will just as our drinks arrive. I sip mine down quickly. I need the alcohol if I’m going to survive this evening.

I feel guilty for not telling my friends everything. If the situations were reversed, I would be just as upset as they are. But I can’t do that to AJ.

It’s not like I’m choosing AJ over my friends. I’m making a decision to protect AJ, his job, and his employees. Maybe, like I promised, I’ll be able to eventually tell the girls what AJ did. Once the NDA wears off and the statute of limitations is up.

I reread the NDA this week. I have at least five years before I need to worry about that.

My drink is suddenly empty. I flag over the waitress so she can bring me another. When she returns, she has our food, too.

I scarf down my burger. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was. I haven’t been eating much this week. Breakfast has never been my favorite meal, but I’m usually good about eating lunch and dinner. I’ve had maybe one meal a day since Monday.

No wonder I’m already feeling the alcohol after only one drink. I finish my burger and my second vodka soda. This time, instead of waving down the waitress, I decide to go up to the bar.

“Does anyone else need a drink?” I ask my friends.

Daisy, who is still unsure if she’s pregnant or not, is drinking ginger ale. Nicole has a beer, and our other friends are drinking mixed drinks. Tammy still has half a glass, but Nicole and Jasmine ask for refills.

At the bar, I wait for someone to take my drink order. The guy next to me glances in my direction.

“Hi,” he says.

I look over at him. He seems to be around my age with dark hair and brown eyes. The guy is decently cute, though he’s nothing compared to my sexy doctor ex-boyfriend.

“Hi,” I respond.

“I saw you come in an hour ago. I’m Nick. And you are?”

“Amber.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Amber.”

The bartender brings me my drinks, but I’m not ready to leave Nick just yet. He’s cute. Don’t they say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else?

“So, Nick. What brings you to the bar tonight?”

He grins. “I’m looking for a sexy woman to take home.”

I take a step closer. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. I noticed those other girls at your table. Are they all taken?”

My heart sinks. Of course Nick isn’t interested in me. He wants me to give him an in with my friends.

“Sorry. All taken.”

Before he can say anything else, I grab the three drinks and march back to the table.

I barely have a chance to sit down before I burst into tears.

Daisy, Nicole, Tammy, and Jasmine all jump up from their chairs to surround me.

“What happened?” Jasmine asks. “We saw you talking to that guy. Did he say something?”

“I thought he was noticing me, but I was wrong. No one ever notices me. Why would they? I’m too big and ugly to be loved.”

“That is not true, Amber. You’re beautiful. You might not want to hear this, but I’m saying it anyway. AJ was clearly attracted to you. That’s proof that people find you hot.”

---