Page 81 of Good Boy

Picking up my phone one more time, I dial Dyson. It’s only eight o’clock in California, so he answers right away. “Yo, Jess! How are you doing in the frozen north? Or should I say who are you doing?”

“Cut to the chase much?”

“What is the count up to now?”

“The count?”

“We were at three last time we spoke—the chair, the wedding, and the Hummer.”

I sigh. “None of your business.”

“Oh, I think it is. Besides, I’m on a fifteen-minute break before I start the other four hours of my shift. Give me a happy thought. Are we up to four? Dare I hope for five?”

“Well…” I clear my throat. “It depends how you count.”

“Ungf.”

Indeed. And he doesn’t even know about the bed. We got a little sticky eating ice cream that night and ended up doing it again in the shower.

“Was it awesome?”

“Completely. But there’s a problem.”

“He doesn’t want to do it again?” Dyson yelps. “Then he’s an idiot.”

“That’s not it. Now he says we’re dating. That’s not cool, right? You can’t just inform someone that they’re half of a couple.”

There’s a moment of silence on the line. “I’ll be half a couple with Blake Riley if you won’t. That man is smoking.”

“He’s as hot as they come,” I agree. “But he’s assuming too much! Who does that?”

“He must be really into you.”

I open my mouth to argue and then shut it again. Is he really? For all his loud-mouthed bluster and total lack of a filter, Blake is actually pretty hard to read. Everything is light and airy and surface-only with him. Other than his confession about his ex and the fake baby mama drama, I’m not sure I’ve ever had a deep conversation with the guy.

Maybe deep is overrated…

Maybe? Truth is I’ve only ever dated intense, creative types. Guys like Raven, who could sit for hours talking about his feelings and pondering whatever existential crises he was going through at that moment.

But…another truth? Sometimes that got really old. And boring. I can’t remember laughing with Raven the way I laugh with Blake.

I always thought I’d end up with an artsy kook like myself. And sure, Blake’s as kooky as they come, but in a different way. He’s bold and loud and totally obnoxious at times. But he’s also hilarious, sweet, kind, loyal, great in bed…

A groan slips out. “I don’t know, Dyse. I…don’t trust it. He’s a famous hockey player. I’m a nursing student who underperformed on her final exam.”

“Oh, sweetie. I’m sorry. Did you get your grade back already?”

“No. I’m just bracing myself. The worst will be if I have to tell my parents this spring that my scholarship money isn’t going to be renewed. I’m going to tell them over the phone so I can’t see Mom’s face.”

Dyson clucks his tongue. “Panic much? You probably squeaked by. You studied hard.”

“Maybe.”

“We have to work on your self-confidence.”

“I’m confident!”

Dyson laughs. “Not so much, hon. You dump your boyfriends so fast so they can never dump you first. And now you’re absolutely wigging out about your whole future when you don’t even know yet what grade you got on the test. That, my sweet love, is not confidence talking.”

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