Page 41 of Sexy Bad Escort

“Hegot over it,eventually. Came out to Cali for a week and went through endurancetraining with me. Tried to keep up, at any rate. That’s when hedecided I had his approval to be a pro skater.” Joe rolls his eyes.“I spent a lot of time wondering if I chose my path deliberatelybecause I thought he wouldn’t like it.” He gives me a swift glance.“Maybe you and I are more alike than you think.”

Isnort. “The only thing we havein common is an abhorrent inability to play golf well. Or have youfinally mastered that particular skill?”

“Nope.” Heshakes his head. “Still suck.”

“That’soddly comforting. Although now that Erin’s married to a golfpro,I’m banking onGarrett taking pity on me one of these days and teaching me theways of the game.”

“Iremember whenDad toldme you started hanging out with Erin, but you clearly weren’tdating. He was worried that you were gay on top of your lack of anyathletic ability.”

“I wish I’drealized that. I would have started acting like I was flaming.”

“All youwould have done was pushhim further away. He didn’t get why you did the things you did.He’s not one for subtleties.”

“Ididn’t think I was being subtle. I believe at one point I said the words, ‘I hate youbecause you think I’m a failure.’”

“Okay,fine. I don’t knowwhatto tell you. I just know that he doesn’t hate you. And I think heregrets the way he handled things. He just… I don’t know. He’s notgood at communicating.”

“Let’s talkabout something else. This is depressing the hell out of me.”

“Okay, fine.Let’s talk about Ronnie.”

The hairon myarms stands on endas this odd little chill chases down my spine. “What abouther?”

Joetakes a drink whilewatching the tender, who’s bent over loading pint glasses onto ashelf under the bar. “What’s she like?”

I wantto sayofflimits. Because she isexactly my brother’s type and I’ve already lost so much tohim—like, my entire fucking childhood—that I can’t fathom thethought of losing her too. Except technically, she isn’t mine tolose. Not yet. Not until tonight, when we make it official.Hopefully. Hell, I don’t even know if she’s ready to take thatstep. For all I know, as soon as I suggest it, she’s going to tellPucker and me to get the hell out of her life.

I neverrealized I have sodamnmany insecurities until now.

“Shesays you two have struckup a friendship. So why are you asking me?”

“Shesaid that?” Why does he sound so damn cheerful? “I’venever had a female friendbefore. They’ve always been classified into three categories:fuckable, already fucked, and not interested.”

“I hopeI canassume Ronniedoesn’t fall into ‘already fucked’?”

“Nope. Butdefinitely fuckable.”

She isthat.

“She’scool,though. Reminds me of someone I knew back in my college days.Someone I probably should have tried harder to keep in mylife.”

Shit.I’ve got to convinceRonnie to commit to a relationship with me, before my brotherdecides to set his sights on her.

***

“Fuck me,”Pucker says when I step into the apartment two hours later.

“Hello to youtoo,” I say.

“She’shot,” he responds and I chuckle. Then Ronnie walks out of the bedroom and the laugh diesaway. My mouth falls open and my eyes stare so hard they start towater.

“Holy Christ,is she ever,” I whisper, taking in every inch of the perfectionthat is Ronnie Frost.

She’swearing thisblack dresswith cut-outs at the shoulders and a hemline that ends in a littleruffle about halfway down her thighs. On her feet are red stilettoswith tiny straps around her ankles. Her hair is a mass of wavesaround her head and draping over her shoulder, her eyes are darkand smoky, and her lipstick matches the shoes.

“Fuck meis right,” I say. “I think maybe we should stay in tonight.”

She laughs.“No way. For as long as it took me to put this together, we’regoing to make it worth it.”

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