Page 69 of How to Win the Girl

“Drew—not everyone is out to get me the same way they’re out to get you, apparently.” She laughs. “Some of us aren’t the hottest commodity on campus.”

I nod ’cause it’s true.

“You’ve never gone on a date and had the guy’s best friend show up, too, and sit at the end of the room and watch?”

Daisy pulls a face. “Uh. No. Where would you come up with that scenario?”

Easy. “I’ve had buddies show up for dates, and the chick brought along friends, who sat nearby and watched.”

Her mouth falls open. “Are you being serious?”

“Yeah, dead serious.”

She dabs at her mouth with a napkin. “Well, like I said—I’m not a hot commodity like you. Some of us are normal people.”

“I’m normal.” Mostly. “Besides, what does normal even mean anymore?”

“Everything is normal, and normal is everything,” Daisy muses, chicken wing hanging from her mouth like a cheap cigar. She pretends to puff it.

Have I ever met anyone as funny and cute as her?

I rack my brain, thinking back to all the dates I’ve ever been on, and all the women I’ve casually fucked in my lifetime and cannot think of one single young woman who stands out in my mind. Granted, it’s possible I just wasn’t paying it attention ’cause relationships haven’t been my focus.

So would I have noticed if someone came along, and she had all the qualities I was looking for—had I been looking?

The girl next door is doing her best to be that memorable person in my life, bless her heart—I do not see her that way and never will. If I had, I wouldn’t have been boning her in the first place. I would have taken her for dinner and to the movies and shit.

Seems like now I’m gonna have to spell it out for her. Shannon is getting a lil’ too familiar and a lil’ too aggressive, marching over to stake her claim on me in public when she has no right to do that.

Fucking embarrassing.

Who the hell does she think she is?

This is the shit that happens when friends with bennies takes a turn, and bedmates don’t stay in their lane. Yeah. She has obviously caught feelings.

I didn’t consider this a problem until Shannon made it one, showing up while I’m on a date, accusing me of beingmewhen I’m here pretending to be my brother.

The nerve.

eighteen

daisy

I had a great time with you last night but hold up: don’t get too excited, that does not mean I want to see you again.

The date is betterthan I expected. Then again, my expectations were low; I assumed a guy like Drew would be shallow and boring, doing mostly grunting and chugging beer?

Why would I have thought that?

Stereotypes, that’s why.

I agreed to come on this date as a lark and was pleasantly surprised.

Drew is funny.

Charismatic.

Not the pompous blowhard I thought he would be, though he is certainly conceited much of the time.

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