Page 108 of Anyone But Her

"It was. I wasn't out with Noah last night. He dropped me off here after dinner."

Lou's brows draw together. "Then where were you at one in the morning?"

Taylor doesn't answer right away and the silence is making me anxious.

"She was with Birdie," I say.

"I thought YOU were with Birdie," Cal says. "You two were supposed to be on a date."

"We decided not to go anywhere after dinner. I think we've decided we're not really a match."

"I didn't want to say it if you really liked her," Cal says, "but honestly, I never saw you two together."

Taylor grabs a bottle of orange juice from the fridge. "Then why weren't you agreeing with Alecia last night?"

"Because she was being a bitch," Cal says.

"Cal!" Barb scolds. "Don't call a woman that word."

"What do you want me to say? It's true. She was being a bitch. She kept insulting Birdie."

Taylor rolls her eyes. "And you never do that, do you?"

"Yeah, fine, I do, but I'm just kidding around. Alecia wasn't. She was doing it to be mean."

"Then why are you going out with her?"

"I don't know. She keeps telling me she's changed so I feel like I should give her another chance."

"I think she proved last night that she hasn't changed." Taylor takes a seat at the table by her dad. I'm glad she didn't sit by me. Just having her in the same room with me is making me nervous. I keep thinking one of us is going to let something slip about last night.

"So what about you and Noah?" Cal asks Taylor. "You didn't like him?"

"He seems like a nice guy, just not for me. Besides, I think he's more interested in Birdie than me."

"I got that feeling too," I say.

Cal looks at me and then Taylor. "You think he's gonna ask Birdie out?"

"Probably." Taylor takes a strawberry from the bowl on the table. "Why? You don't think they're a match?"

"No. I don't. He's not right for her."

Barb gets up from the table. "Cal, why are you so concerned with who's dating who? Have you decided to play matchmaker now?" She laughs as she sets her plate in the sink.

"No, but I'm friends with Noah so I know his type and Birdie isn't his type."

"He seems to think so," Lou says, getting up from the table. "It sounds like he was showing interest in her last night."

"Which was totally inappropriate," Cal says. "She was supposed to be Luke's date last night. You don't make moves on another guy's date."

Lou shakes his head as he takes his plate to the sink. "Young love. So many rules. So much drama. I'm glad I have you, sweetheart." He gives Barb a kiss.

She smiles. "I don't think either one of us would survive the dating world at our age. We're too out of practice."

"Speaking of practice," Lou says, looking at me, "I was wondering if you could go to Taylor's golf practice today. I want you to look at her backswing."

Her backswing?I'll be looking at a lot more than that. Her lean legs. Her tight ass. Her sculpted arms. Even now, I'm having a hard time not looking at her in her tank top and shorts.

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