Page 60 of Crazy for You

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” Ryan muttered.

“So just play it cool, man. Maybe let her be the one to pull the plug. You’re helping her sow her wild oats, right? So once she gets it out of her system…”

Mark looked between them. “What’s this?”

“I heard her friends put her up to it, gave her a dare or some such shit,” Ethan told him. “Emma said she wanted a hot fling, and Ryan was the lucky stud who wiped ketchup off her cheek.”

“Christ. Gabby even told you about the ketchup thing?” Ryan polished off his beer and reached for the pitcher to pour himself another.

“I’m telling you. Chicks love to gossip.”

“So do you, apparently.” Ryan delivered the jab without any heat behind it because truly, the only one he was pissed at was himself. Emma had told him about the dare and the ketchup thing. He knew she was trying to live it up this year and try new things. But to hear Ethan say she was sowing her wild oats with him? That fucking stung. Because now that he thought about it, it was true. So she’d have her fun, get Ryan out of her system, and then find herself a respectable guy to settle down with.

That actually should have suited him perfectly because it would preserve their friendship when all was said and done. But it didn’t. It burned in his gut like blistering hot coals.

14

Emma stopped at the Haven Deli after work on Thursday. Something she used to do about once a week: order takeout for dinner on her way home. But today, the prospect felt lonely. How had Ryan become such a big part of her life in such a short time? Doing her best to shake off the unsettled feeling, she made her way to the counter and placed her order for a hot pastrami sandwich to go.

“Emma?”

She turned, cringing inwardly because she recognized that voice, and yep…

Tristan Farrell, the world’s most boring man—the man who’d dumped her for being boring—stood behind her in line, wearing a green button-down shirt and khaki slacks, a wide smile on his face. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Emma mustered a smile of her own. “Small town.”

“You look really great,” he said, gesturing to her dress.

“Oh, um, thanks.”

“So how have you been?” he asked.

“Good.” Great, if she were being perfectly honest with herself. Her smile widened. “And you?”

“Never better.” And he launched into a long-winded update on his life while she prayed for her order to hurry up and get there. After he’d finished telling her about his mom’s recent diabetes diagnosis, he paused. “Hey, you want to get together sometime?”

“What?” She drew back. Was he talking about a date? Because that ship had already sailed clear out of the harbor and halfway across the ocean…

“It’s just”—he shifted from one foot to the other—“seeing you again made me realize I still have feelings for you. I just wondered if maybe you feel the same way.”

“Sorry, but no, I don’t.” Maybe she shouldn’t have been so blunt, but there it was. Seeing Tristan again had only reaffirmed for her how glad she was they weren’t still together.

He scowled. “I’ve seen you around town with Ryan Blake.”

She nodded. “Yes. Sorry, but I’ve moved on.”

His scowl deepened. “Look, I don’t get the obsession you women have with dating a guy with tattoos and a nice ride, but you know he’s never going to be the guy you settle down with, right?”

Oh, he was starting to piss her off big time now. “Maybe not, but neither are you.”

“I could be.” He puffed his chest out with the words.

“With someone else, but not me.”

His gaze traveled slowly over the clingy blue knit dress she wore, lingering on her red-painted toes. “I really like your new look.”

“Is that what this is all about? You found me boring dressed as a tomboy, but if I dress myself up a little, you want me back?”

---