Page 2 of Bookworm and the Beast
Tonight was no exception—I’d noticed several of the guys trying to catch Erin’s eye. I couldn’t blame them. Even soaking wet, my new neighbor was gorgeous.
And she was genuinely nice. Erin had volunteered to walk the six blocks here with me since I was still getting the hang of navigating the city. Unfortunately, she was getting drenched in return for her kindness.
“It’s okay if you want to leave,” I told her. “Really. It’s so yucky out, and I know you’re not really into this. We could just meet up later on.”
Obviously eavesdropping, a nice-looking guy with a neat beard stepped out of line a few spots ahead of us.
“Listen, I was thinking about bailing myself. I’d love to buy you another one of those.” He gestured to Erin’s lidded cup. “Or maybe dinner… if you’re hungry.”
His gaze slid down her body, her legs, and back up, finally reaching her face. “I knowIam.”
Ewwwww.
Apparently, the pickup lines in Manhattan were no better than they’d been in Ithaca. Or Syracuse.
My high hopes for being single in the city were sinking fast.
Erin smiled sweetly. “No thanks. I’m here with my friend.”
The guy glanced over at me, apparently just noticing my existence. “Right. Of course.”
Undeterred, he pulled out his wallet and extracted a business card, offering it to Erin with two fingers.
“Maybe another time. We could ‘copter out to my place in the Hamptons one weekend. My number’s here. My secretary’s a registered pit bull, but I’ll give her your name soyourcall will get right through to me. I’m an investment banker,” he added, raising his brows and obviously waiting for her to hand over her name in exchange for that tidbit of unsolicited info.
“It’s Jennifer,” she lied.
The guy smiled. “Jennifer. I dated Jennifer Lopez for a while—you’re way hotter. I hope to hear from you soon.”
When he returned to his spot in line, Erin tossed the card into the nearby trash bin.
“Why’d you do that?” I asked. “How do you know he wasn’t ‘the one?’”
Erin snorted a laugh. “He’s a cheeseball. Besides, theonedoesn’t exist. Not in this city, anyway. You don’t even know yet—dating in New York is a total nightmare. If they’re not trying to get you into bed on the first date, the men are looking around the whole time you’re out together, making sure they’re not missing out on something better.”
“Really?” It seemed hard to believe someone like Erin would have dating difficulties.
“Oh yeah,” she said. “In a city with almost five million women, they’re thinking ‘why commit to just one?’ Andthoseare the guys who’ll even take youout. Most just want to get together for a one-time hookup.”
My sinking hopes capsized and sent up a flare. If this gorgeous woman couldn’t find love here, what chance didIhave?
But then I thought about it. Erin probably had impossibly high standards. She was a model, for God’s sake. She worked with male models all the time.
My dating goals weren’t quite that lofty. I mean, who was I to demand physical perfection from a guy? If I did my best with my hair and makeup, I’d be viewed as pretty by some, not so much by others.
Which was fine. I didn’t need Prince Charming. I just wanted to find someone Iconnectedwith. Looks didn’t matter to me, personally. I cared much more about a man’s intelligence and wit, his opinions and interests.
My greatest hope was to meet a man who’d feel the same, who’d take the time to get to know me and take an interest in my insides—my mind and soul.
Of course I wouldn’t mind someday experiencing the kind of till-death-do-us-part devotion I’d witnessed in my parents long marriage.
And have the kind of mind-blowing sex I’d only read about in romance novels.
It hadn’t happened so far. I’d dated a few guys in college as well as in the two towns where I’d worked since graduation. Nothing promising had developed. I had liked them, they had seemed to like me, end of story.
I hadn’t really worried about it. My stints in both places had been relatively short, and I was still young—only twenty-eight. I was hoping that moving to a place with a large population would be an advantage—more fish in the sea and all that. I mean, I wasboundto meet somebody here.
“You just have to be patient,” I said, sharing my own personal mantra with Erin. “It’ll happen. The nice guys have to be out there somewhere.”
