Page 180 of How to Win the Girl

“Fucked.”

“No, dude, that’s not what I was gonna say.” Jeez, cut me some slack. I mean, yeah, we fucked, but I hadn’t planned on leading with that information. “We went to dinner, and it was a nice date—our fifth.”

“Yourfifth? You’ve been on five dates already, and you’re just now tellin’ me?” Drew scratches at the back of his skull. “Where the hell have I been this whole time?”

Studying. Going to class.

Doing the shit he does when I’m not around.

“How the hell should I know? I’ve been coming and goin and neither you or Ryann have been around so I’ve been doin my own thing. I don’t need you to wipe my ass.”

“I didn’t say you needed me to wipe your ass. I’m just shocked, that’s all.” He uncrosses his arms. “Where’d you go last night on your date?”

“This steak place on the river. Palmers or something. Nice place. We should go back. You’d like it.”

“Huh.” He mulls this information. “You went back to her place then?”

“Yeah. Wasn’t planning on it, but she invited me inside, and I ended up spending the night. Girls beds are so fucking comfortable, she has this white down comforter that was like sleepin on a freakin cloud.” I fall back onto my bed, exhausted. “I’m gettin' a boner just thinkin’ about it.”

“I’m sure she’d love knowin’ that.”

“Knowin’ her, she probably would.”

Daisy is cool like that. I can say what’s on my mind and not have to worry about any delicate feelings being hurt or her threshold for nonsense being too low. She lets me be myself, dirty mouth and all.

I wonder what she’s doing right now.

Probably showering and getting ready for bed, same way I am.

“When would be a good time to mention that Shannon stopped by before.” Drew says it so casually it takes a few seconds for the words to sink in.

I look up. “When?”

“Saw her on the camera with their new roommate. They were talkin’ and started lookin’ through the windows when no one came to the door.”

“Looking in the windows? To see what, exactly?”

My brother shrugs. “Who knows. You know how girls are.”

“Did it record?”

“Yes.”

I stand there waiting. And waiting.

“Well? Are you gonna show it to me, or do I have to ask?”

Drew laughs, digging his phone out of the pocket of his track pants. “Shit, sorry.”

He thumbs through his cell, pokes, then holds it forward for me to look at once he has the camera app open.

I watch as Shannon—my former fuck buddy—climbs the front steps up to the porch with a girl I’ve never seen before a few steps behind her. Shannon fusses with her hair, two long braids pulled over her shoulders. She’s got on a bright white tank top that shows off her stomach and a pair of short shorts. White sneakers.

Ordinarily, I’d get off on it, but now? I feel nothing.

She presses the doorbell.

Stepping back to wait, she says something I cannot discern to the girl with her.

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