Page 28 of A Lesson for Laurel

“Nope,” Abe said. “And Laurel isn’t Elise Stanley either.”

He snorted. Elise was the wet dream of all the boys back in the day. Everyone wanted her attention and neither he nor Abe got it.

They weren’t good enough, but it didn’t stop many from trying. “Where the hell is she now? Do you know?”

“She’s married to someone old enough to be her father with a shit ton of money. She’s the pampered little housewife she always wanted to be,” Abe said. “Living in Greenwich, I believe, with a summer home in Mystic.”

“Good for her,” he said. “Glad she got what she had coming to her.”

Abe laughed. “You’re a dick.”

“Just like Elise likes those old wrinkly ones. Wonder if her husband can get it up anymore.”

Abe was laughing so hard he was probably bent over with tears in his eyes. “Now I know something is going on because you’re being a jerk on purpose. You never say insulting shit like that unless you want to distract me.”

Aunt Carrie would smack him upside the head if she’d heard this conversation. “Maybe,” he said.

“You’re the one who said you were fucked. I’m guessing you didn’t get fucked and maybe that is your frustration?”

He didn’t want Laurel talked about like that and that just told him how messed up this whole situation was for a short period of time.

“We’ve had two dates,” he said.

“So?” Abe said. “In your past, you might not have had one date before you brought a woman home. When I used to go visit you in college, I heard enough about it from Liam.”

Liam and he were roommates their freshman year and then just continued for those four years before he went to law school.

“Liam always exaggerated because he wasn’t good with women,” he said.

“Not everyone has your confidence,” Abe said. “Unlike me. It’s just we are different people and attract different women.”

He was glad everyone thought he was confident when most of the time he never felt it.

“And that is why I’m fucked,” he said.

“Tell me,” Abe said.

“Things were going well,” he said. “I told you about her dickhead ex.”

“You did.”

“I learned more about him. The dude won’t eat with his fingers,” he said.

“Jesus, is he royalty or something?”

“Sounds like he thinks he is,” he said. “But the point is, we got talking about types and she said she learned her lesson there. To go for what she always did rather than trying something different.”

“Okay,” Abe said. “What’s her type?”

“You,” he snarled. “She fucking wants someone who has manners, is rough around the edges, isn’t afraid to get dirty.”

Abe was roaring with laughter. “Damn,” Abe said. “I knew I should have introduced myself before you came. But you described yourself too, so not sure about the issue.”

“She hates lawyers. Said they are all smooth talking and have to win at everything. You can’t trust them. Doesn’t like men in suits because flashy means high maintenance. Dude, stop laughing or you're going to wet yourself.”

“Sounds like you’re in a bind,” Abe said.

“You think?” he said sarcastically.

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