Page 54 of Piece Of Me

“Val the lady you slept with two years ago.”

“Once or twice. Maybe three times.”

“And?”

Mike Paul swore and took a good long pull from his beer bottle. “Look, she came over to me and started flirting like a champ. I wasn’t interested. In fact, I’m so far from interested I don’t know what interested feels like anymore. And it’s not just Val. I can’t seem to rustle up interest in any of the ladies.” He looked at Taz. “Trust me that’s never happened before.” He looked down at his crotch. “Maybe it’s broken.”

“Maybe it only wants one woman.” Taz could relate.

“But she doesn’t want me. Not anymore.”

“Ivy saw the two of you together.”

“Damn straight she did. After ignoring me the entire night she marched her little butt over and tossed a glass of beer in my face. Then she up and left before I had a chance to say anything to her. I’d apologize but I have no idea what for.” He shrugged. “She’s crazy. No other word for it.”

Taz didn’t know Ivy well, but he wouldn’t tag her as crazy. In fact, she pretty much ran Cal Bridgestone’s career. She was the opposite of crazy…until it came to Mike Paul.

“It’s obvious that sleeping with Val hits different than the other women you’ve slept with.”

“You think?”

“There’s a reason there. You’ve got to figure it out.”

“She says I should know.” Mike Paul threw his hands up in the air. “How in hell am I supposed to know when she won’t even give me a hint? She looked insulted when I suggested that. All I want is for us to go back to the way things were before…”

“Before what?” Taz looked at his friend. “Did you sleep with Ivy?”

Mike Paul took a couple of beats before he replied. “We might have had a moment last year.”

“And you want more.”

Mike Paul shifted, like he was uncomfortable. “She just…drives me crazy, you know? Always has. Even when we were just friends.” He tore at the label on his bottle. “It was the four of us, Millie Sue, Cal, me, and Ivy. Then she went away with Cal and things changed and I carried on doing what I do.”

“Getting busy with every single woman in Big Bend.”

“Look, I’m no saint, but it’s not like we were a couple. I never thought of Ivy like that.”

“And now you do.”

“I guess I do.” Mike Paul slowly nodded and turned to Taz. “I can’t talk about this shit with Cal. He’s too close to Ivy and Millie Sue doesn’t want to hear it. She doesn’t want to be in the middle.”

“That’s fair.”

“So here I am sitting on your porch like some old woman, complaining about something I have no idea how to fix.”

“This Val seems to be Ivy’s line in the sand. If you don’t know why then?—”

“I’m fucked.” Mike Paul looked disgusted. He heaved a sigh and kicked out his heels. “What’s going on with you and Scarlett?”

Taz frowned at the look on his friend’s face and Mike Paul laughed “What? Isn’t this what bros do? Talk about their feelings and shit?”

“I’m fine keeping my personal life to myself.” His reply was dry.

“You like her.”

Taz didn’t respond.

“You two got plans for the rest of the weekend?”

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