Page 52 of More Than a Good Friend

A message pops on my screen.

Archer:Everything okay? You missed pizza night, and you love pizza.

Me:Out dancing. Grabbed dinner here in San Antonio.

Archer:You and Goldie have fun.

I stare at his message, trying to understand why he thinks Goldie is with me. And the schedule had Goldie cooking tonight—beef stew or something—not pizza night.

Me:Goldie isn’t with me.

He sends a thumbs-up.

I tap out a question asking where she is, then delete it before hitting send. If I wait another minute, he might explain his assumption.

But he doesn’t. So I send another message.

Me:Why’d you say that?

Archer:Because she wasn’t at dinner, so I figured she was with you. But I was wrong. Maybe she’s out on a date.

Why must everyone remind me of Goldie’s dates? I’ve met a couple of the guys, and they weren’t even as good-looking as me. But she turns me down flat. How does that make sense?

It’s probably good I drove myself here because I’m sorely tempted to break my rule. When I’m mad or upset, I don’t drink because that leads to trouble. Tonight, I plan to soothe my hurts with a beautiful woman or two. We’ll see who shows up after the old people leave.

A woman who looks like she’s partied her way through her twenties and thirties hops onto the stool beside me. “Hiya, good lookin’. You lonely or looking to cheat?”

“I’m not cheating on anyone. And I’m not lonely.”

“A little snippy though. What’s wrong? Did your dog run away?”

I focus on my tacos and hope she moves on and annoys someone else. “I’m not snippy.”

She leans closer, and the alcohol on her breath doesn’t mix well with the smell of my tacos. “You have the look of a cheater. Like you know you shouldn’t be here, but you are trying to hurt someone. You can tell me. What did your wife do? Maybe I can help you get a bit of vengeful satisfaction.”

The woman isn’t bad looking. If the lights were dimmer, I’d probably call her pretty-ish. But she’s talking like a crazy woman.

I hold up my left hand to show her that there is no ring and no white line where a ring should be. “No wife. No girlfriend. And I’m not seeking revenge.”

Hurting Goldie is the last thing I want to do. I thought asking her out would make her happy. But knowing she wasn’t at dinner, I worry that she’s upset.

“Look, darling. I’m not suggesting we steal away to the back room or anything. But we could dance. Maybe a little more than that if you’re feeling it.”

“I have a question for you.”

She puts her hands up. “Shoot.”

I’m pretty sure people say don’t shoot when they have their hands up, but telling her that will only set us off on a tangent.

“If I asked you out on a date, would you say yes?”

She loops her arm around my bicep. “Absolutely. Your place or mine, handsome?”

“My friend told me no. Can you believe it?” I stuff the last taco in my mouth. “She told me she loved me but won’t go out with me. That makes no sense at all.”

“Well, I’m saying yes. Let’s go.” She tugs me, and I slip off the stool. I have to grab the table to catch my balance.

“Everything okay here?” The bartender eases up beside me. “You good, cowboy?”

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