Page 11 of End Game

“Yeah, and that’s because I don’t have a lot of time, and might I remind you that you don’t either. Who’s going to shop for these gourmet meals she’ll prepare for us?” Dollar sounds so damn logical, he’s almost got me convinced.

“She never once mentioned anything about the meals being gourmet,” Coop points out, the true logical one of us three.

We’re all in the kitchen, crowded around the tiny table that sits in the dining area. We barely fit around it, it’s so small, and I hope when our new roomie makes us these supposed dinners that she doesn’t expectto sit with us, because I don’t know how we’ll make it happen. She’s a little thing, but I don’t know where she’ll fit.

Seriously, I’m just as much of a schmuck as Dollar is because I’m already anticipating those home-cooked meals too.

“True,” I say, but Dollar is shaking his head.

“They might be. We don’t know. I have faith in her. She seems cool.” Dollar’s voice is purposely nonchalant. “And she’s cute.”

Ah. There it is. He falls hard for pretty much any girl who looks at him twice, even if they’re just being polite. And when they are into him, he comes on so strong, his behavior sends most of them packing, which sucks for poor old Dollar. He just wants to find a woman who loves him, unlike the rest of us, who are searching for something a little more casual.

“Don’t get any wild ideas,” Coop warns him.

“What do you mean?” Now Dollar is perplexed. Funny how he never seems to get it.

“He’s basically saying don’t shit where you eat,” I explain.

Dollar grimaces. “That’s disgusting.”

“What Nico means is don’t fuck around with our new roommate, Frank.” Cooper sends him a look. “You can’t think she’s cute. Or pretty. Or beautiful. And you definitely can’t flirt with her. That’s just ...”

“Dangerous,” I finish for Coop.

“Exactly.” Coop nods.

“That’s some bullshit. If I want to flirt with her, I will. If I want to fuck around with her, I will.” Dollar glares at both of us. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

I roll my eyes at Cooper before I say, “We’re not telling you what to do, Dollar. We’re just trying to help your ass.”

“Yet you never listen to us,” Coop mutters.

“Because you guys are full of shit most of the time.” Dollar leaps to his feet, jabbing his index finger in our direction. “I’m gonna go check on her. I promised I would help her move her stuff in.”

“You don’t even know where she went,” I remind him.

“I’ll wait outside for her then. Better than being in here getting shit from you two.”

He’s gone in seconds, the front door slamming behind him and making the entire house rattle.

“Maybe we’re too hard on him,” Coop says, looking guilty.

He’s probably right, but come on.

“Nah. He does this sort of thing all the time.” Falling head over ass for some hottie who plays along because he’s eager to please and will do whatever she asks him to do until she eventually finds someone better.

Frank Dollar is a nice guy. Not a bad-looking guy, I suppose. But he tries too damn hard, and some of the women he tries for know it. They use him, and he lets it happen every damn time.

I’ve never admitted this to either of my roommates, but I used to be the Frank Dollar of my high school. My confidence was for shit back then. I was kind of scrawny but still managed to play damn good ball out on the field because I was fast, but I never caught the attention of the girls.

Until I started laying it on thick with the ones I was interested in, just like Dollar does. They used me up and spit me out, and when I got burned by a girl I was interested in, forget it.

Commitment is for idiots, especially at our age. I’m too young for a serious relationship. Too busy to take the time to even contemplate one. I’m not interested. And it’s like women sense that, are attracted to that sort of attitude. They know I’m not serious, and all they want to do is convert me. Change me into a relationship type of guy.

No thanks.

There was only one who interested me enough to see her on a semiregular basis this past spring, but it went sour fast. She got a little too possessive and placed way too many expectations upon me. I bailed out quick because I could see if I stuck with her for any length of time, it would become harder and harder to get away from her.

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