Page 75 of Love Undiscovered
“Sure, it’s never happened,” Brad says sounding doubtful. Alex flips him off in return.
“Why don’t you flip him off back, B?” Ethan asks Brad.
“Fuck off,” Brad says.
“Alex, you think you got it bad,” Ethan says laughing.
“Shut the fuck up, E,” Brad says.
“Ask Matthews to flip you off,” Ethan says to Alex.
Alex gives Brad a head nod. Brad hesitates, then flips him off. Only it’s unlike any flip off I’ve ever seen.
“What the fuck’s wrong with your hand?” I ask, trying not to laugh.
Ethan’s laughs dissolve into coughs he’s laughing so hard.
“My fingers won’t do it, man,” Brad says. “I don’t know why. I just can’t get around looking like a jackass when I try to give the finger.”
I’m glad, for Alex’s sake that the focus is now on a shortcoming of someone else’s and not his.
“Back to the bet,” Brad says.
I spoke too soon.
“Tell me how a tap out leads to a fuck bet?”
“It’s not just a fuck bet,” I say.
“Bauer said he could get any girl in bed,” Alex says.
I bury my face in my hands. I’m not sure this conversation could be going any worse at this point.
“That’s not quite what I said. And I didn’t know it was Remi when I made the bet,” I say.
“Did finding out it was Remi change the bet?” Brad asks.
“No,” I say. I’m mad that I’m feeling ashamed. But I know why, it’s because I’m starting to care about her and it’s not just a bet to me anymore.
“Remi is like a sister to me,” Brad says, his voice warning.
“I’m sorry, man,” Alex says.
“This is on him, man, not you,” Brad says to Alex, nodding his head in my direction.
“I’m not going to force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do,” I assure him.
“That goes without saying,” Brad says. I nod and take a large drink of my beer, then refill my glass from the pitcher.
Brad rolls his head on his shoulders, cracking his neck. Then flexes his hands to do the same with his knuckles. “If you hurt her, I will end you,” he says.
“I would do the same in your situation,” I say.
Alex points out something on the TV to Ethan and they are off talking about the game that’s on.
“I’m not going to hurt her,” I say. My phone beeps as I say that. I pull it from my pocket and see it’s a text from Remi. I can’t stop the smile that brings to my face.
Remi: I meant to thank you for lunch earlier, but this guy kissed me right before I went back to work, and it kind of rattled my brain enough to make me forget my manners.
