Page 71 of Summer Ever After
“Too many.” Ivy crumples the towel up, positioning it behind her head.
“Seven!” I say because I’m the only one with the answer. “I’ve asked seven men out on dates, and what do I have to show for it? Nothing. Do you think any of these men have asked me out?”
“Nope.” Cat lifts her head. “Actually, didn’t Beau ask you out once?”
“Yes.” I sit up, my annoyance overriding my emotions. “But have any of them even tried to make a move?”
“Not a one.” Ivy’s tone is dry and emotionless.
“I haven’t had a single handhold or platonic hug.” Beau did hug me, but I’m in my complaining era, so we’re not going to get nitpicky with the details. “Hoping for a kiss is out of the question with these kinds of stats.
“Dating is hard. Finding a person that you’re mentally and physically attracted toandwho feels the same about you is almost impossible. Then, on top of all that, the circumstances and timing have to be right.” My body slumps, letting my frustration drive me back into my lounge chair. “I don’t know how anybody ends up with someone else. There are too many insurmountable things keeping people apart.”
Like not living on the same island, being your best friend’s older brother, not interested in falling in love, loving golf more than relationships—just to name a few.
“How was your date the other night with Dustin Pearce? Didn’t you go swing dancing?” Cat’s sunglasses make it impossible to tell if her eyes are open or closed.
“Yes, we went dancing. There was a lot of physical touch with no sparks. My body was dead to Dustin.”
“Dustin’s cute enough.” Ivy looks up. “You might be the problem. Maybe your body is dead to every man. You’re immune to feeling chemistry.”
I give her a pointed look. “I’m not the problem.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know.”
Because every time Walker touches me, my body explodes with heat. His smell has more control over me than the Cinnabon bakery in the mall, with fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon rolls on the counter. And let’s not talk about how Walker’s different smiles command my heartbeats.
So, yeah. IknowI’m not the problem.
My chemistry radar is transmitting just fine.
“Are you giving up, then?” Cat asks. “Is the Summer of Jane Hayes over?”
If I stop pursuing other guys, everything will blow up in my face. I’ll be sucked further into Walker’s charms just to have him leave in a few weeks.
No, I can’t give up. I have to press on, only to keep myself busy so I don’t end up mystified by Walker.
“I’ve already put the wheels in motion for tomorrow’s date with Phoenix Park. I might as well see it through. And to be honest, Dustin wasn’t awful. I may not have felt anything, but I didn’t have a terrible time, and that’s saying something. So maybe I’ll revisit him again.”
Cat flips to her stomach. “Since I’m living vicariously through your love life, I’m really hoping you get kissed soon. So far, your dating details are boring.”
“This all started so wedon’tlive vicariously through a book or someone else.” I tip my head to her. “You need to find your own person to kiss.”
“Not a lot of chance of that since Noah Belacourt is the only man I see these days.”
“How is it going working for him?” I ask Cat.
“It pays the bills.”
“Why is adulting so hard?” I close my eyes again.
Ivy laughs. “Probably because you’re trying to date all the men on the island.”
Or because I’mnotdating the one man I want to.
Jane
