Page 2 of Love Not Qualified

She and David have been together for a while, and going out on Sundays has somehow become a ritual for us. Most of the time I felt like a third wheel, even though I knew for a fact that David was the third wheel.

Always.

Whenever I was there, Merielle forgot she had a boyfriend. She did such a great job at it that I almost forgot too.

The driver stopped the car and I got out, my shoes hitting the rough pavement. I leaned down, smiling at him. “Thank you. Have a great night,” I said before closing the door.

The cold air swept inside my lungs, the smell of heated tires tingling my nostrils. I pulled my jacket tighter on me, the wind slicing my cheek as I hastened my pace and walked inside the cheap bar.

As soon as I opened the door, my ears filled with a roar of dismay as people sat back down on their chairs, squeaking under their weight as their eyes wandered from the old TV that was hung on the wooden wall.

My gaze traveled over the crowd of football spectators and landed on a waving Merielle. A smile curved on my face and I weaved between bodies, my heels sticking to the wet floor.

“Not grabbing a drink tonight?” I heard a familiar voice shouting over the chatter.

I turned my head, spotting Eric behind the wooden stools lined up along a counter, serving drinks to those waiting. A silly grin was displayed on his face, his ravished hair resting on his forehead and eyes pointed at me as he handed over a few beers.

Eric was a hot guy. His muscles put on quite a show, especially through the tank top he was wearing tonight. His face had the right amount of cuteness and roughness, but he’s too young for me.

“Sure,” I replied, raising my arms to my sides. “Bring me whatever my friends have.”

He nodded, lifting a hand to his forehead. “Aye aye, captain.”

With a shake of my head and a stolen smile, I continued my path to where Merielle and David were.

“Eric hitting on you again?” Merielle wiggled her brows as soon as I sat down.

I rolled my eyes theatrically, hanging up my purse on the edge of the chair, then faced the two of them again.

“Hi, David,” I began, hinting that this was the proper way to start a conversation, rather than my friend asking something she already knew the answer to.

David chortled, side-eyeing his girlfriend before kissing her forehead. She ignored him, patting her sleek blonde hair with her palm.

“I don’t understand why you don’t give him a shot.” She shrugged, then nudged David with her elbow, waiting for him to agree with her.

I took the mojito in front of her and slid it to me, then took a sip before responding. “He’s too young.”

She huffed. “He’s only three years younger, and who says you have to marry this guy? Bang him and jump to the next one until you can re-collect your broken little heart.”

My stomach sank, and I caught a small scrunch of David’s nose. Tonight was all about taking my mind offhim.

Merielle was a good friend, but she had a way of bringing something up when she definitely shouldn’t. Since Josh and I ended things, she has been bugging me to fuck around and live my life. She figured that after two years locked in a cage with that son of a bitch, I never got to enjoy life in the real sense of it.

The truth was, I didn’t want to.

I wasn’t looking for one-night stands, and she knew that. Still, she couldn’t stop nagging that I should find someone else, even if it wasn’t for the long term.

I took the straw out of the glass, chugging it until my face burned. “Where’s Eric with that drink of mine?” I asked, looking for him in the crowd.

“Or maybe…” I heard David starting.

My eyes moved to him. It’s strange to hear him intervening in ‘girl stuff’ as he liked to call it, so I was interested in what he had to say.

Maybe not interested, but curious.

“There’s this new dating app—” He tried to say, but Merielle interrupted him by giving him a soft slap on his head.

“Dating apps are stupid. You never know what freak you might date. I vote no,” she said, pushing her chest forward with her arms crossed over it. “Andyou owe me a mojito.” Merielle pointed her freshly manicured finger at me.

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