Page 1 of Calling the Shots

CHAPTER1

GRACELYN

Ishould have stuck to my guns.

Stayed offBlazeandBuzzandSoulmate.comforever.I managed just fine all summer long, while my bestie Sloane was back home here in Thunder Creek.

Living vicariously through her love life, everything was good.

Great, even.

But once she left for Florida with Cam and I was all alone again, I logged back in. Bored and lonely, I couldn’t stop myself from swiping right. Like a freaking addict, desperate for excitement and ready for my next hit of oxytocin.

Flush.

The toilet whooshing in the next stall jolts me back to my miserable—and still very much single—reality.I have to sashay out there and bid the fondest adieu to Pixel Pete, the world’s most boring IT guy. Why’d I even swipe right on the guy? We have nothing in common—I’m pretty sure his idea of a good time is writing code. The dude has zero game and may still be a virgin. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I just don’t particularly want to walk him through the finer points of female anatomy.

Hard freaking pass.

With a heavy sigh, I wipe my sweaty palms down the thighs of my jeans and stand tall on my very-much-wasted-on-this-date stilettos. I slide the lock back on the stall and shove out into the dim restroom. Only to make eye contact with Jamie Ware, the biggest bitch in town. With her siren-red hair and matching lipstick staining her surgically enhanced pout, I couldn’t miss her if I tried.

Fuck my life.

Now I have two choices. I can: a.) dip back into the stall and fake a violent retching episode. Or b.) waltz over to the sink and wash my hands like a normal person.

Much as I’d love to go with option A, I saunter over to the sink, head held high.

“Hey, Gracie. How are you?” Jamie trills, flipping her long scarlet hair over her shoulder.

Ireallyhate when people call me Gracie.

I glare at her in the mirror, my right eye on the verge of twitching.

“All alone now that your little friend’s shacking up in Florida?”

My gut clenches, bringing option A back into play.

“Great to see you too, Jamie. And not that it’s any of your damn business, but I’m not alone. I’m on a date.” I wrench at the faucet handle and water sprays out full-force, splattering out of the sink and turning bits of my gauzy white blouse sheer.

Shit.

I ratchet the pressure down, meeting her gaze in the dingy mirror. She arches a penciled brow and acts shocked.

“How nice for you. Another one-night stand in the books, then?”

My jaw clenches, hot anger bubbling in my veins. This bitch has been tormenting me since grade school and I amoverit.

“You know a lot about those, I’m sure.”

She unsnaps her clutch, pulling out a tube of lipstick. Popping the lid, she swipes the deep red color across her bottom lip.

“No, that’s not really my style. I’m more of a long-term gal myself. And I’m not into the local dating scene, either. That’s so, I don’t know, passé, don’t you think?”

Considering I told her five seconds ago I was on a date with someone who’s most likely a local, no, I clearly do not think. But whatevs…

My cell vibrates in my pocket. Saved by the bell.

I quickly dry my hands, tapping the screen to life and reading the text.

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