Page 55 of Can't Kiss the Chef

I watch Marcus’ mouth open before snapping back shut. I can practically see the gears turning in his head.

“What aren’t you telling me?” I snap. It’s too early to grovel with niceties.

“Umm, Lola’s been in Hamilton the last couple of days. Dalton made it official this weekend.” It comes out like one long word.

“Oh,” I stop myself, take a deep breath to regroup. “As long as he treats her well, I am happy for her.”

My friends look at me, eyes pinched.

“Really?” Aaron asks.

No, I feel like I’m going to be sick.

“I’ve known Dalton for a long time,” I say with a shrug. “And if one thing is true, he’ll let his true colors show eventually. Lola needs to know I support her decisions. When he inevitably hurts her, like I watched him do every girl he dated throughout high school, I’ll be there for her.”

Aaron’s mouth hangs open, and I reach over the center console and push it back up.

“It’s too early for this shit. Just get me to The Riley Center,” I say wryly. It’s a half-truth, they don’t need to know how bad I’m hurting. Nobody likes a sad class clown.

“One and ohhhhh babyyyyy!”

The southern drawl of our goalie, Eric Webber, carries through the bar. He just gave an epic toast to our first win of the season. Since it is a Tuesday night and most of the students are home for fall break, we were able to get the whole team into Jasper’s without having to pass back IDs.

They really don’t care if you’re underage, especially if you’re on a sports team. Their only rule is they need to see a license that says you’re twenty-one.

You would think a Tuesday night would mean the bar is dead, but if I learned one thing over the last four years, small towns love two things. Their local sports team and their local watering hole and they’ll support them no matter what day of the week it is.

I’m deep in debate about whether the Bills are going to sweep the Patriots again this season with Sean, our freshman center, when a cool breeze rushes in from the open door.

A pack of girls walk in, and they draw the attention of every guy on the team.

“Do they go to school here?” Sean asks.

“I don’t think so, mostly everyone is home,” Oliver answers, reluctantly taking his eyes off Jasper’s newest patrons.

His gaze turns back to the girls, and when they settle into the open gap between us, he turns on the charm. Unlike his sister,Oliver is a people person, and people gravitate to him. He’s charming, and the leggy brunette to my left isn’t immune.

“Are you fucking kidding me,” the blonde to my left mumbles under her breath.

“I can’t blame her. Oliver is pretty charming.” I inform her before taking a sip of my rum and coke.

“Yeah, I don’t know if it’s that or if she is a sucker for any guy with dark hair and blue eyes.” She puts her phone in her purse and pulls out a mint tin.

“I’m Avery, by the way. Want one?” She flips the open tin toward me.

Sorry I’m more of a gum person.

“I’m good, thanks.” I scoot further into the booth and pat the seat next to me. “Why don’t you take a seat? It looks like you might be here awhile.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rude. This just happens every time we go somewhere.”

I offer her a beer from the bucket Oliver ordered. It’s the least he can do.

She takes one before looking over the rest of the group she walked in with. They’re all perched at a booth next to some of my teammates.

“Hi, Avery, I’m Byron. Do you want something stronger than that beer?” I tilt my head to her friend who is already making herself at home in Oliver’s lap. “It looks like we’re gonna be in need of some new friends tonight.”

It’s been a while since I flirted with anyone who wasn’t Lola. It feels kinda nice.

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