Page 8 of How to Lose at Love

She stands, wiping her hands on the apron around her waist. “And I keep asking you—why are youwaitingfor something to happen when you could bemakingit happen yourself? This isn’t 1950. We are not our grandmothers. You want to bang the dude, bang the dude.”

Easy for her to say.

Winnie is outgoing and loud and gets attention everywhere we go without putting in any effort. And when she does put in the effort, that attention increases tenfold.

She’s also dating a guy everyone at the fraternity house calls Rookie, so what does that tell you?

She’s way more fun than I am.

My best friend is full of charm and has thatje ne sais quoi, as they say in France.

Not that I speak French, but I do have a T-shirt with that saying on it—I should probably give it to Winnie because she has it and I do not.

Winnie has always been more outgoing than I am, loves parties and socializing, loves makeup and glam, loves expensive purses and shoes. She’d rather spend her financial aid on dinner at the mall than on textbooks and classes.

“You’re right, you’re right. If I want to get laid, I should be more assertive…” I fail to mention that Diego and I rarely kiss or make out.

I want more heat.

I want him to feel me up.

I want him to stick his damn tongue down my throat!

You don’t know what you want, Ryann…

Yes, I do!

Then what are you waiting for?

“Hello?”

Winnie is waving her hand in the air to get my attention, holding the plate of fries in my direction as an offering.

I take another one. “Sorry.”

“Just have fun and stop overthinking everything. This isn’t a big deal. You’ve only been dating, what, four months?”

“Two.” I blush. “Overthinking things is ingrained in my blood. Blame my parents.”

“You arenotyour parents.”

Winnie knows my parents are therapists who love to dole out advice—they doled it out to her the last time she made the trip home with me.

“I know, but they’ve ruined me for dating.”

My parents aren’t just regular therapists—they aremarriageandrelationshiptherapists and have always emphasized open doors and honesty. They encourage me to give everyone a chance, and I’ve learned a crap ton by watching them work together over the span of my life.

They also encourage open communication, though when it comes to their own relationship? There isn’t a ton. Or if there is, it isn’thonestcommunication because otherwise my mother would have told me she and Dad are having issues of their own.

Guess I shouldn’t assume their marriage is perfect just because they help other couples work on their relationships, though they have the tools for success, so I would think they’d use them on each other…

But I digress.

“So you don’t think I’m wasting my time?”

Her shrug is noncommittal and not an answer.

I set the plate down on a nearby table. Time has flown and it’s time to clock in for our shift.

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