Page 66 of The Stud

“That was the GM,” she announces upon her arrival. “She wants me to take a few extra photos of the whole thing in progress. Evidently, they know the owner of this bar.”

“You fucked Layvon?” I bluntly question in tandem with dropping the item I’m fairly certain I accidentally dug a hole into. “Why?”

“We weren’t just fucking,” Arden rushes to say. “We…were…sort…of…doing…non-sex stuff too.”

“YoudatedLayvon?!”

“I-”

“Youdateda hockey player?”

“I-”

“All the shit you talk aboutnotdating us pylons and STD skaters and bunny hoarders and you secretly-”

“Idontknow that I would call it a secret.”

“-dated one of the biggest in the league?!”

“Why are you yelling at me?!”

“Why did you date him?!”

“Maybe because he fuckingasked.” Unexplored hurt hikes through her expression. “Maybe because he is the only one to lace up who everhad.”

“That cannot possibly be true.”

“Well, it fucking is. Just like everything I’ve ever thought or said about dating hockey players is true. Because hecouldn’tkeep it in his pants. And hecouldn’tcommit when he swore he could. And hedidsay whatever was fucking necessary to keep me coming back and calling and texting until I realized I wasnevergoing to be more than the ‘just when we’re within miles of each other’ fuck buddy he called his girlfriend to shut me up.”

Disbelief over her willingness to give him – of all roster riders – a shot and his blatant mistreatment of her has me aggressively shaking my head. “Unbelievable…”

“What’s unbelievable is the fact hejustasked me to dinner like-”

“Are you gonna go?!”

“I-”

“You’re really gonna go outagainwith Enzo Lamearri?!”

“Not your best chirp.”

“Like you didn’t just tell me hebrokeyour bloody heart?”

“I-”

“Like he isn’t just gonna use you as if you’re a pracky sweater he needs to borrow because he forgot his at home?”

“I-”

“Like you’re still the fucking call up when the regular bunnies are injured?”

An outraged squeak hits my ears. “Fu-”

“That’s fine,” I cockily brush off with a bitter grin, doing my best to save face. “You twoshouldgo out.” Dialing back my jealousy is harder than bench pressing two hundo post a two-hour pracky. “Catch up. See if there’s anything still there. Especially since I was actually going to cancelourplans to do a bit of headline making myself. I haven’t been big on soc’ for more than my stats lately.”

It’s impossible not to notice her disheartenment deepening. “Seriously?”

“Of course.” I step back to create a bit of space to breath. Regain my composure. “We were just talking about the amount of mitt in the room, remember?” Cooly sliding one hand in my pocket precedes me waving at a tiny tittied blonde at the closest table. “That’swhere I was taking the conversation earlier. I was about to tell you I needed the night away to insure I keep things silky…” Rather than bother meeting eyes with the woman responsible for the new putrid taste burning the back of mythroat, I lock gazes with the giddy female that will be ending my celibate streak and wink. “Have fun tonight. I know I will.”

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