Page 26 of Reeling in Love

Gabs is still talking to the woman. Well, at least one of us scored tonight. He smiles and laughs and remains the perfect gentleman.

“He’s a looker, right?” comes a voice from behind me.

“Ah, yes. Sad that he had to leave so early.”

“What? I’m talking about him.”

“Who?” I say as I turn toward the speaker—a hot woman who is now sitting on the stool previously occupied by Clark.

“The one you were looking at. With those dreamy eyes, muscular arms, and that smile. Ooh. I think I might come just looking at him smile like that.”

I scan the room, trying to figure out who she’s referring to.

“Yup, him, lady,” she continues, pointing in Gabs’ direction. “The one in the black shirt.” Oh, it is Gabs she means.

I regard him again. His beady eyes are shining. His ruffled hair and angular chin, the slight trace of stubble on his cheeks, and his tight-fitting shirt that looks like it might tear off along the seams if he flexed his muscles, all make him appear like a model right out of a magazine.

“Hey, he’s mine if he gets away from that bitch,” the woman says, adjusting her dress and pulling it down to show off a little more of her cleavage.

She stands up and sashays toward Gabs, giving him a seductive smile as he looks up. Then he turns his gaze toward me and finds me staring at him. I immediately look away. I find my heart racing a little. Is it the Clark effect? Must be. Has to be.

How did I never notice how hot and handsome Gabs is? I mean, I know he is attractive, given how women fall all over him, ready to get into bed with him at his slightest hint. But somehow his charm never affected me. Never. I thought I was immune to it, that he was not my type.

“Hey.”

It’s him. The single word seems to reach straight to my stomach, making my innards slide around, as if inebriated.

He taps my shoulder and takes a seat beside me. This is something he has done a thousand times, but today, every pore of my body seems to be electrified by his mere touch.

“Hey yourself,” I reply, staring at my glass, unwilling to even look at him for fear of what my eyes might reveal. “If you want permission to go home early with your girl, it’s fine. You can go. Don’t worry about me. I’ll take a cab back later.”

“What girl?”

I lift my head and raise my eyebrows. “The one you were busy flirting with, whispering things in her ears. The one in the green dress.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “It was the other way round. She was flirting with me. My attention was on you.”

“What?” Did he really say that? Did he mean it?

“Why’re you gawking at me like that? Remember, I said I’ll help you get laid. But you let that man leave without you. So, on to our next target. Either both of us score or none. That’s the first rule.”

“For your information, I didn’t let him go. He has my number and we intend to go on a date. Saturday dinner.”

“Good for you. Except that one-night stands don’t work like this. You meet someone, you go to a room, have hopefully good sex, then leave and never see each other again. Going to dinners and lunches is never a part of this exercise. Ah, you’ve gone rusty, my friend. I think I need to take matters into my own hands.”

The woman who’d been sitting next to me returns and is clearly shocked when she sees Gabs with me. I give her a mock winning smile and she shows me the middle finger mouthing the word ‘bitch’.

Somehow I don’t want to ‘score’ anymore because I don’t think it’ll feel like scoring.

“Why don’t we go to that dance place you were raving about before you went to Paris?”

“Really? Is that what you want? Chances of finding someone here are higher than at that place.”

“It’s okay. I feel like dancing. Maybe postpone the getting-laid plan,” I say, walking toward the exit with Gabs following me.

“What about getting Rick out of your system?”

“Ugh. He’s already out. Trust me. He’s the last man I’m thinking about. In fact, I was thinking since I told Daphne that we’re dating, we might have to live up to that lie, at least for a few days. For you, y’know. Otherwise, she’ll realize it was a sham and make you date Sophia.”

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