Page 40 of Bad Luck Club

The first two sentences were far from the truth—almost laughably so—but what he’d said last…

Hadn’t she realized that was true?

“It’s not—”

He held up a hand. “No, no, I know it’s true. But that’s going to change, Blue. You’re one in a million. There aren’t many women who’ll let a guy truly be himself, butyoudo.Youwouldn’t want to dress up in peanut butter and jelly partner costumes at Halloween.Youwouldn’t expect me to carve designs into the turkey at Thanksgiving.”

This was getting strangely specific.

She opened her mouth to tell him he was getting her all wrong, but just then a perky server approached their table, wearing a hat designed to look like a nest filled with eggs.

“It’s an egg-cellent day to enjoy some eggs! What can I do you for?”

But Dan paid her no attention. He was rummaging in his pocket, and he slapped a man’s wedding ring on the table, the metal ringing out against the glass tabletop.

“Oh. Em. Gee. Are youproposing?” the waitress screeched. “That’s the second time this week!”

Blue’s first thought was ridiculous—someone had thought it was a good idea to propose at An Egg-Cellent Adventure?—but it soon gave way to shock.

That ring could only mean one thing. Dan was married. She’d been dating a married man.

In the back of her mind, beyond the rush of horror, a little voice thought,Huh, maybe Adalia and Maisie were right about the owl after all.

“What the hell?” she asked, getting to her feet.

The woman’s eyes shot to the ring. “She’s right, sweetie. That’s a man’s ring. Someone hoodwinked you.” She glanced at Blue. “A woman like that needs a beautiful ring.”

Blue would have laughed at that, if she’d had any laughter left in her. She’d had a Ring Pop for her first wedding in Vegas, and Remy had bought her a three-carat diamond. Two rings too many, if you asked her. All she’d wanted was someone to spend time with when she was feeling lonely. Someonenormalwho wouldn’t want to control her or take over the little corner of the world she’d built for herself. Someone who wouldn’t even want to play a regular part in it.

But in looking for that person, she’d forgotten that there were two people in every relationship—and if a man wasn’t looking for much of a commitment, then there might be a reason for it.

That stubborn little voice in her head told her that she’d forgotten something else too. Spending time with a man could be more than just a pleasant diversion. It could be meaningful and exciting and full of possibility. Except maybe she hadn’t forgotten it, necessarily, because even though she’d been married twice, she’d only felt that with one person…

“I’ll get her a ring, someday,” Dan said, pulling her out of her tangled thoughts. “Or maybe Gertie won’t want to keep hers.”

“What in the actual hell is wrong with you?”

She didn’t realize she’d shouted until it registered that everyone in the restaurant was now staring at their table.

The server’s mouth hung open. Her gaze shot to Dan’s ring again, her eyes widening as if the significance had finally dawned on her.

“I’ll just leave you with some menus,” she said, slapping them down on the table. A huge anthropomorphic egg waved at Blue from the cover.

“You’ve been married this whole time?” Blue pressed, her eyes digging into Dan before dipping to that ring on the table. It looked a little burnished, like something that had been worn for a long time. Did he have kids? A dog?

She knewnothingabout him.

“Why don’t you sit down?” he said softly, as if she were a crazed animal. “You’re making a scene. Let’s get some breakfast and talk about this like two rational people.”

Someone laughed in the background, and a second later, she heard the opening strains of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” belting over the egg-shaped loudspeakers.

Rage rippled through Blue in hot and cold waves.

“You think I want to have breakfast with you? I never want to see you again.”

He held out a hand in the universal “stop” gesture. “Blue, it’s not what you’re thinking. Gertie and I are separated, but we haven’t told anyone yet. We’re keeping it quiet.”

“How quiet?” she asked, watching as he averted his eyes. She’d been told enough lies to recognize the signs. “So quiet she doesn’t even know about it?”

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