Page 49 of The Rebound
“All right, if you really want to know, listen up.” I lean in conspiratorially. The guys lean in too, looks of interest plastered on their dumb faces. For my own personal shits and giggles, I try to draw it out for as long as possible. “The thing about Kinley and me, you see, is that we ... are ...friends.”
They all groan in unison, throwing their hands in the air and settling back into their seats.
Alex scoffs. “Whatever, man. Let it be known that whatever is going on between the two of you, I saw it coming from a mile away. You heard it here first, folks.”
“Hear, hear,” Lucien says, raising his glass.
A second later, they’re all toasting to a nonexistent relationship. Ain’t that the saddest shit you’ve ever heard of?
“Yo, Lucien,” Alex says suddenly. “What’s it like being with a pregnant woman?”
Lucien shrugs, a devilish smirk stretching across his face. “A woman is a woman. The sex is great. Don’t you agree, Saint?”
Fuck this. I’m equal parts intrigued and envious, so I keep my mouth shut and will continue to do so as long as we’re on this subject.
I’m trying to keep the drinking to a minimum tonight in case Kinley needs me for some reason, but now I’ve got all sorts of dirty ideas in my head of what exactly she might “need” from me. If they keep this shit up, I’m about ready to chug what’s left of this beer and order two more.
Reeves returns to a table of grown men giggling like a bunch of schoolgirls. Suspicious, he pins me with a glare. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing.” I straight-up lie to his face, inspiring giggles anew from the peanut gallery.
Reeves cranks up the disdain by pushing past me to get to his seat. So much for that breakthrough, huh?
I sincerely hope Kinley is having a better night than I am, because this is bullshit.
16
KINLEY
“What do we think? Red or white to start with?” Aspen asks no one in particular, perusing the wine menu in the cozy booth we’re all squeezed into together.
“I prefer white,” Summer says.
Camille nods amiably. “Whatever you want, Aspen.”
The bride-to-be turns to me and cocks her head to the side. “Do you have a favorite?”
“I alternate between the two, but it’s up to you. I can’t drink anyway.” I pat my oversized belly with as much humor as I can muster.
Since we’re sitting in a booth, I had to position myself at the end and point my torso to the side so my small planet of a body can fit without the table shoving into my belly. Long story short, I’m huge.
“Oh my God, I’m sorry. I’m such a dumbass,” Aspen says, so genuinely contrite that I actually feel bad for her.
“Happens all the time when you’re pregnant, right?” Camille cuts in, shooting me a look that saysI get you.I appreciate this woman more than she probably knows.
“Right. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be just fine.” I tap the menu’s section labeledMOCKTAILSwith one finger. “They’ve got some alcohol-free options I’m eyeing.”
Aspen gives me a relieved smile. “Okay, good. I’m really glad you could come. I know it was kind of a last-minute invitation.”
One week’s notice was plenty of time for me, but I wouldn’t dare admit that. These women seem to think I have a bustling social life outside of them, when in realitythisis my entire social life. “Not at all. I’m so happy to be here.”
The waiter comes and takes our orders, and it’s just my luck that they’re out of the alcohol-free seltzer I wanted to try. Aspen looks like she’s about to fight the waiter for taking away my only shot at happiness this evening, so I just ask for some water and a glass of cranberry juice that I don’t really want.
God, I miss wine so freaking much.
“Tell me about how you and Alex got together,” I ask Aspen, doing my best to veer the subject away from my personal pity party. “I’ve only really heard about the tattoo bet with Saint.”
The glances I get after mentioning Saint’s name aren’t lost on me. I’m sure these women have a lot of ideas about what’s going on between the two of us.
