Page 58 of The One I Love
“Yet being the operative word,” Betsy says as she tips her now empty glass to me.
“Okay then, the question must be asked”—Izzy resituates herself so she’s now looking back to the guys—“since Amelia here is about to fuck one of them and we can speak for the other two. The question must be asked: which one is the biggest freak in the sheets?”
We look to the guys, but no one says anything. Then, as if we were cued, one name comes out of all of our mouths.
“Simon.”
We all start laughing again as Porter brings us another round of drinks.
“Did we order these?” I ask.
“Of course not,” Porter says, signaling over to the pool tables where Oliver and Simon are now sword fighting with the pool cues while Wes and Shane look like they want to strangle them. “But I was told tonight was a special occasion, so that means at least one round is on the house.”
“Aw, Porter, you big softy,” I say.
His eyes narrow. “Don’t you say that shit out loud, Amelia Evans. I have a reputation to uphold.”
This makes us all laugh. “Apologies. How dare I mess with your grumpy bartender-slash- manwhore persona?”
“Exactly,” he says, but throws in a wink at the end. “Wave me down if you need me.”
“Will do.”
The three of us take our glasses and clink them together. Our conversation continues, but doesn’t dwell on Shane and I. We talk about Betsy and Wes and their upcoming summer vacation plans to California. We do our best to get to know Izzy a little more, which I must say, out of all the women Oliver has proposed to in his life, I’m glad she’s the one who ended up with a ring on her finger. She’s a badass businesswoman. She’s fitting right in with Betsy and me. And she gave Simon shit in the first ten minutes. This better work, because Oliver can’t do better.
“I’m going to preface this with I know I’m still getting used to this town and people, but who are those women talking to the guys?”
Izzy and I look over to the pool tables, and just as Betsy said, there are three women being very flirtatious with the guys.
The three women who are the bane of my existence.
“That would be Jessica Mozzaro, Christina Leaftree, and Emily Babcock,” I say, doing my best to keep my temper even.
“And I take it we don’t like them?” Betsy says.
I shrug. “I don’t want to tell you what to think of people.”
“That’s not how this goes,” Betsy says. “If you say we hate them, then we hate them. Blind faith. I’ve hated an actress since I was ten because I read once she didn’t like puppies. I later found out she has four and posts pictures with them on Instagram all the time. I still hate her.”
“Well, then, we don’t like them,” I say. “Christina was one of the many women my husband cheated on me with. Jessica slept with him during a break we took during senior year before I got pregnant. I don’t know if Emily had sex with Paul, but I wouldn’t put it past her. They never liked me in high school—I was a tomboy, and they were the popular mean girls. I think each of them has tried to get with each of the guys, even though they’ve told them time and time again that they aren’t interested. Well, except Simon. But I’m pretty sure he did it either drunk or on a dare. Either way, they’ve never gotten the hint. Especially Emily. She’s had a thing for Shane for years and isn’t shy about it.”
“Fuck that noise,” Izzy says, standing up and…is she taking an earring out?
I grab her arm to pull her back down. “Let’s not get you kicked out of The Joint on your first night.”
“Fine,” Izzy groans. “But just so you know, I don’t throw the first punch. I throw the last.”
I knew she fit in with us!
We don’t go over there, but we can’t stop watching. At least that’s how I feel. I couldn’t tell you what’s going on with the other guys because my eyes are glued to Shane, who is currently trying to fend off Emily. Which is no shock. This is what she does. Every time she sees him out, she makes a move.He always turns her down. I’m not worried about that. I give the girl credit; she’s persistent. I’d think if a man turned me down for nearly twenty years I’d give up. But no. Not Emily.
“The fuck she is!”
Betsy said the words, but my brain was thinking it. Because Emily has now cozied up very close to Shane. So close that I can see her fake boobs pressing against him. I see him stiffen, but it doesn’t deter her, and she even adds an exaggerated laugh as she throws her head back.
I know for a fact Shane didn’t say shit, let alone something funny.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I say as I bolt up from the table.
