Page 4 of Forever and Other Lies

“I think you’ll have to get in line.” Jayna let out a loud snort.

After lectures and laughter in the bathroom, Jayna swore upon her life to never mess with Jessica’s love life again. She did it with her fingers crossed behind her back, so it didn’t technically count. How could she promise that? Messing with her friends was so much fun.

Jovanny Grotta and Ben Brennan had joined their group, pushing two tables together. So had Derek. Jayna chose a chair close to the actor, and far from Derek.

It was surreal to be sitting at the same table with an A-list movie star, sharing a beer and a pizza like it was just any Friday night. But it was just a regular Friday night, and somehow the actor had become a part of this close-knit community. Admittedly, when he’d first shown up at the Brennan farm, she’d been more than a little starstruck. Okay, more like completely awestruck. What woman with a functioning libido wouldn’t have been?

He was Captain Heroic, saving the world and stealing hearts everywhere he went. The man was freaking gorgeous. He had been blessed with every good-looking gene there was. Dark, smoldering eyes of melted chocolate, and whiter-than-white teeth with a 100-watt smile. And can we talk about those impossibly deep dimples? Then there was his hair, styled to perfection, begging for fingers to get tangled in the silky strands. With washboard abs, broad shoulders, and toned thighs, he was every bit a movie star. Of course, Hollywood would have noticed him.

And here he sat, in small-town Canada, at a knock-off Irish pub wearing a ball cap and an ordinary black T-shirt like every other guy in the pub. Except, unlike all the ordinary men, Jovanny didn’t look ordinary. He looked as good in regular clothes as he did wearing a tux on the red carpet. The man was beautiful.

But how did Derek Brennan, sitting next to such a handsome man, still look so damn good-looking? Wearing a black T-shirt as well, he was all biceps and black ink peeking out. With that bad boy attitude, he could very well be one of Jovanny’s co-stars. One of his hot co-stars.

Now admitting that left a sour taste in her mouth. Pouring a glass of beer from the pitcher in the center of the table, Jayna cautiously side-eyed Derek. Hopefully, he wasn’t upset that she had run off his date. She couldn’t help but notice that he hadn’t shaved today and the black T-shirt he wore belonged in the rag bin. Seriously though, if the date this evening had been well, serious, he would have at least shaved and worn a decent shirt. One with buttons and a collar, minus the holes.

As she set the pitcher back on the table, her eyes collided with his. Derek’s violet-blue ones flashed dangerously in her direction. A slow grin lifted the corner of his lips and popped the dimple on his left cheek. He was too good-looking for his own good and knew it. And she hated that she noticed. Not that it made a difference. Good-looking or not, he was still a world-class jerk. A shave, a haircut, and a dress shirt would not change that. He was in dire need of a personality transplant.

“Jayna,” he spoke her name, in a slow menacing drawl.

“Derek,” she used the same intonation he had, holding his penetrating glare. Never let the enemy sense fear. Or was that for dogs? Either way, it worked for Derek Brennan. He was her archenemy and a low-down, no-good dog.

“Should I be handing out cigars?” Ben chirped. “I’m going to be an uncle again!”

Derek shot his younger brother a scathing look before turning it back on her. “Do you mind telling me what that was all about?”

“Well Derek, I was helping Jessica get out of a bad blind date.” A smirk played across her lips.

He leaned forward, slapping both his open palms on the table. “A bad blind date?” He repeated her words, slowly and concisely. Lifting his right hand, he pointed his index finger in her direction and stabbed the air with it. “Let me get this straight. You ruined my date so she could get out of hers?”

Jayna shrugged indifferently. The muscle twitched in his jaw. She had really pissed him off. Derek was always intense, but when he was angry, it came off him like crashing waves. Tonight, his anger was a storm heading straight in her direction. She squared her shoulders.

He is an insensitive womanizer, she reminded herself. There was no need to feel guilt over ruining his date. “It’s not like you don’t have another date lined up for tomorrow night. If not, just pull out your phone and swipe right on the first big boob bimbo you see.”

Derek narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think I wasn’t planning to see…” he paused. Was he attempting to remember his date’s name? “Tanya Simms tomorrow night?”

Jayna let out a snort. “Right, okay! If you were really into her, you would have showered, changed your shirt, and brushed your hair.”

“Her name is Tonya Zimmerman,” Ben interrupted. “I went to school with her.”

Jayna snorted again, louder this time. “Ha, you didn’t even know her name. And she’s way too young for you.”

“I was close. And she’s old enough to drink and vote, so she’s old enough to date,” Derek challenged and glanced down at his t-shirt. “What’s wrong with my shirt? I showered, brushed my hair, and even put on deodorant.” He lifted his left shoulder to his nose and sniffed. “It’s still working!”

“Whatever!” She dismissively raised her hand, waving him off.

“And it’s not like you’re all dressed up.” He pointed at her T-shirt. “Superpower? Yeah, right! More like super-pretentious.”

Jayna glanced down at the rose T-shirt with the bold gold lettering; ‘I’m a nurse. What’s your superpower?’ Lifting her chin, she glared in his direction again. “I didn’t have a date. So, what’s your superpower, Derek? The ability to stink up a room even after you’ve showered and put on deodorant? I can smell you over here. You smell like bitter regret and failure. Oh, look,” she laughed, pointing to the door. “There goes your date with Jessica’s.”

Derek let out a loud grunt when he turned to watch Tonya stroll arm in arm out the door with Jessica’s date.

“Jayna, I hear you started working in the ER at Blythe Landing Hospital.” Leighton forced a change in the subject. “How are you liking it?”

She kept her gaze trained on Derek’s face, watching his angry expression soften as he turned to look at Leighton. He apparently still had a thing for his brother’s girl. And it caused that weird sensation to swirl in her gut like it did the first time she noticed it in high school. Maybe that was the cause of some of the animosity she felt towards Leighton. Maybe it was jealousy.

No, impossible!

She was not jealous over the fact that Derek had feelings for a woman he had no business having feelings for.

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