Page 55 of Betting on Lizzie

The woman giggled, flipped her hair, and ran a hand down Ben’s arm, her hand lingering on his. All the stuff women do on first dates when they like someone.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked, stopping alongside Lizzie. “Hey, is that Ben?”

“No. And nothing’s wrong. I just remembered I told Justin I’d go to work today. Pour House is too busy. I don’t have time to wait.” She grabbed Lucy’s arm and turned her around, heading in the opposite direction of the restaurant. “Can we just grab fast food on the way back to my place?”

“I guess,” Lucy said. “You’re acting really weird.”

“No weirder than usual,” Lizzie said with a smile, trying to joke her way out of the awkwardness.

“That was Ben at the restaurant, wasn’t it?”

“Just drop it, okay?”

The ride home felt like the longest of her life. She knew Lucy sensed something was wrong, but did not want to get into it with her now. Or ever.

Seeing Ben with that woman made her feel seventeen all over again. Sure, they weren’t technically “together,” so he wasn’t really “cheating,” but it still had the sting of betrayal. An “I like you” text probably seemed inconsequential to Ben. But to Lizzie, it was monumental. To put herself out there. To admit she had feelings for him. That was huge.

But while she’d been fretting over texting Ben, thinking of buying him a present, and mulling over the possibility that he could be more than a fling, he was making plans with some other chick.

“Thanks for driving,” she said to Lucy, getting out of the car. “See you later.”

“Well, don’t forget your stuff,” Lucy said, nodding to the back seat.

Lizzie grabbed her bags and waved before speed-walking back to her place.

Charlie greeted her at the door.

“I’m such an idiot,” she said, hugging the dog. “When will I learn?”

Of course Ben wouldn’t be any different from all the other men she dated. She chided herself for even entertaining the idea that he might be unique. She knew better than to listen to her heart and should have stuck to her instincts.

About thirty minutes later, she got a text from him. Asking her to dinner that night before his poker game! Was he joking? He must have just gotten home from his lunch date. The gall of this guy.

Sorry. Gotta work.

She wasn’t scheduled to go in, but there was no way she’d sit at home and wallow. That most definitely was not her style. She put on some of her new clothes, did up her hair, and went to work. A bonus of going to work was that she could avoid Lucy. And Daisy, who was still on her back, also wanting information. She had no patience to deal with her family right now.

Guys hitting on her was nothing new. Put a few drinks in a man, and he always thought he had a shot. She usually let them down easy, and everyone walked away happy, but tonight was different. She wasn’t in the mood for flirty banter. Every couple she saw reminded her of what she didn’t have. And probably never would.

Even before she saw him, she felt Ben walk in. The weird connection angered her. He was searching for something. Or someone. When his eyes landed on her, he beelined to where she stood. As he made his way through the crowd, she tried to cook up a smile for the stranger who’d just ordered. If they were seeing other people, fine. She could play his game.

“I’d ask if you come here often, but I know you do,” she said coyly to the man, making sure Ben was within earshot.

Ben approached and glanced between Lizzie and the man, confusion, annoyance, and a touch of hurt on his face.

“Hey,” he said. “I didn’t know you had to work tonight.”

“I didn’t. Just thought I’d help out.” She tried to keep the curtness out of her voice but failed. Subtly was not her thing.

“Can we talk?”

She raised her eyebrows and waved her hand as if to say, “Go ahead.”

“Somewhere else?” he said, leaning in. “I get the feeling something’s wrong.”

“As you once told me, always trust your gut.” She turned and left. Right out the back door and to her car, Charlie on her heels. Ben was smart enough to read between the lines. They were done.

It might have been a little over the top to storm out, but she wasn’t in the mood to hide her disappointment. She wasn’t breaking it off just because of the lunch. The whole situation was a poignant reminder that feelings were a slippery slope to pain. A slope she had neither the skills nor the will to navigate.

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