Page 9 of Good at Being Bad (Rock Canyon, Idaho 8)

Mike shook his head. “Bye to you, too.”

Gracie blew him a kiss. “Yeah, yeah, you know I love you, Goober. See you tomorrow.”

She closed the door behind them, and without her there to run interference, Drew turned his full scrutiny onto him.

“Whatever you think you need to get done, just forget about it. I might have something to shake you out of your rut.”

“Oh, yeah? And what’s that?” Mike asked.

Drew’s grin was just this side of evil. “You’re just gonna have to come out with me to find out.”

Chapter Three

Palming the black notepad Drew had just handed him, Mike stared down at the skull and crossbones on the front in confusion. “Is this some kind of pirate notebook or something?”

The two of them sat in a booth at Buck’s Shot Bar. The log cabin styled bar was open and spacious, but the place was packed to the brim tonight, making it seem smaller. Body heat from the dancers and milling groups made Mike feel claustrophobic.

“Put it in your pocket and I’ll explain it to you,” Drew said, loud enough to be heard over the live band currently covering a Toby Keith song. He was scoping the room warily, as though he’d just handed over state secrets and expected covert agents to jump out of the shadows.

Mike, curiosity piqued, flipped it open, ignoring Drew’s curse. His eyes scanned over the first page and he burst out laughing.

“Seriously, dude, did you just give me your pickup artist handbook?”

Drew glared at him. “Will you keep your fucking voice down? This is not something I advertise.”

“But seriously, this is what is going to be a game changer for me?” Mike was pretty sure Drew was just messing with him.

“What I just gave you has never failed me since high school. Remember Melanie Franklin?”

Of course, Mike remembered Melanie Franklin, the gorgeous varsity cheerleader who had haunted his adolescent fantasies more than any other woman when he was a freshman. “Shut the fuck up!”

“Now I have your attention.” Drew nodded his head with a smile and took a long pull from his beer. “I slept with her when I was a senior at Rock Canyon High, and she was a sophomore at Boise State. I’d bumped into her when I was touring the campus and one thing led to another.” Drew leaned over and whispered, “Best weekend of my life.”

Mike fingered the cover possessively. “If this thing is so awesome it can land you anyone you want, then why are you giving it to me?” For a half a second, he was worried that Drew was going to ask for it back and that Mike might just hiss, “No, the precious is mine.”

Shit, he needed to lay off the Lord of the Rings marathons.

“Cause I’m thinking of throwing in the towel and going legit.”

“You met someone?” Mike couldn’t help but laugh. “I never thought it would happen.”

“Me, neither.” Drew didn’t seem happy about the turn of events.

“So, why are you so bummed, man? What’s the problem?”

“The problem is she calls me on every move I make. All my bullshit and fronts, she smashes them to smithereens. Nothing in that book is going to help me prove to her that I’m serious, except for being genuine. Honestly, I’m not sure I know how to do that.”

Mike was having trouble reconciling the Drew he’d idolized in high school to the man next to him, pouring his heart out. “Wow, man, that is beautiful.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Drew said.

“No, I mean it. And I think all you have to do is just be the guy you are when you aren’t in the spotlight. Everyone likes that guy.”

Drew gave him a dark look. “As opposed to what?”

“I didn’t mean anything by it, except that you’re different when you aren’t being Drew Carlson, star NFL player. Not trying to piss you off, but there were a few interviews you gave that made me wince. If I didn’t know you, I’d think you were a dick.”

For

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