Page 58 of The Love Wager

“I’m a huge believer in fate, in things happening because the cosmos wanted them to, so her reaching out to me feels epic, y’know?”

Alex stopped digging and said with a grin, “Listen to me—I sound like a fucking lovesick little girl.”

“Now you sound like a fucking sexist.”

“Right there I did, didn’t I?” Alex laughed, which bugged the hell out of Jack. “Thank God there are no feminists loitering in the parking lot to overhear.”

“That would be the worst, right?” Jack said, unsure if the guy was serious or not.

“The last thing I’d want to do is look bad in front of Hal, so for sure the worst. Although, honestly, she seems way too sweet to care about something like that.”

“You’d be surprised,” Jack said, remembering her at the speed dating event.

“No, I wouldn’t.” Alex looked one hundred percent confident in his opinion as he said, “Even though we haven’t known each other very long, I feel like I alreadyknowknow her.”

Jack didn’t even know what to say to that, so he just muttered, “Is that right.”

“I think it’s that fate thing.”

Jack couldn’t stop himself from saying, “I wouldn’t really put much stock in fate on this one, by the way. Sometimes you get lucky, but this sure as hell wasn’t because the stars aligned.”

Alex said, “Says you.”

“Says life.”

“Nope.” He shook his head and grinned like Jack was theone saying ridiculous things. “It’s fate, my guy, and you just don’t get it.”

“Listen, buddy,” Jack said, really fucking irritated at this point. “Don’t tell Hal I told you this, but we had a bet. We made a wager on who could find love first. So her feelings for you might be real and you might be the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet, but it wasn’t the cosmos or your good karma that made her swipe right on you. It was the will to beat me and win a free vacation.”

“Are you serious?” Alex’s face fell, and Jack immediately regretted telling him. Regretted it, but still felt the tiniest twinge of satisfaction.

“Hundred percent.”

Alex rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, “Huh.”

Dammit.Jack sighed and said, “I mean, it sounds like she really likes you, so it still worked out, right?”

Alex looked distracted and upset. “I suppose so.”

“If I were you,” Jack said, backtracking because he wanted to respect Hal’s relationship regardless of his feelings for her or his utter annoyance with Alex, “I’d forget you ever heard this and enjoy the ride.”

“That’s probably good advice.” Alex smiled half-heartedly and handed Jack a grocery bag. “Here are Tigger’s toys.”

“Thanks.” Jack took the bag, turned, and had only taken one step when Alex spoke up again.

“So... you and Hallie.”

Jack stopped and turned back around. “What?”

Alex put his hands in his pockets and gave Jack a knowing look. “Is there something going on? Something more than friendship?”

Jack wanted to hit him again, which was weird because he rarely wanted to hit people. He gave his head a shake and said with total honesty, “No.”

“Do you want there to be?”

“If I did,” Jack said, exhaling, “I would talk to Hal about it. Not you.”

Jack left Alex at his car and went back inside the building. He felt bad about getting in the guy’s head and being a general asshole, but he’d apologize next time he saw him.

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