Page 19 of One Night to Fall
He’d slept with a coworker during a retreat and claimed itmeant nothing.
But that had just been the cherry on top of all the late nights at the office and canceled plans.
Jesse isn’t like that, and you’re not even dating him.
As if I conjured him, my phone lights up on the ground next to my keys.
JESSE: I had a shit week
ADRIAN: Do you want to go out and grab a drink?
JESSE: Am I crossing the friend line if I’d rather bring over pizza and beer?
ADRIAN: Depends on what you consider acceptable pizza toppings
JESSE: Are you flirting with me, Nate?
ADRIAN: Don’t be a brat
JESSE: Definitely flirting
JESSE: I’ll allow it—my ego could use the boost
ADRIAN: Why? Some other guy blow you off this week?
I watchas three little dots appear and then disappear before a message finally pops up on the screen.
JESSE: I guess I should have said it before but the only person fucking me is you
JESSE: I wouldn’t have asked you to keep things going if I wanted to fuck someone else
JESSE: Forget it. I’ll see if Lake is busy
ADRIAN: Dude
ADRIAN: Come over
JESSE: Nah, I’m shit for company
JESSE: Sorry I bothered you
Draggingmy hand down my face, I count to ten before snatching my keys off the ground and stalking toward the exit, juggling everything in my hands as I type out a message.
Not to Jesse, but to Wren.
ADRIAN: Where’s Jesse?
WREN: Why?
ADRIAN: Because right now I want to strangle him
WREN: Kinky
ADRIAN: Sure, let’s go with that
She’ssilent for a minute as I wait in my car, shrugging on a sweatshirt I found in the back seat.
WREN: Lake said he went to the tree farm—check the north corner
