Page 39 of Miss Matched

“I don’t believe we’ve met.” She holds out her hand.

Kennedy chuckles under her breath like there’s an inside joke brewing in there somewhere.

“Zac, Monica.” She waves an upward-facing palm between us.

“Oh, I know,” Monica says with a wink that makes me laugh.

“Nice to meet you,” I tell her.

She doesn’t immediately let go of my hand when I’m done shaking it, instead holding tight and narrowing her gaze. I’m accustomed to getting doe eyes from beautiful women, but this is different. Her eyes move from me to Kennedy with the slightest tick of a smile on her lips.

“Interesting,” she says, finally dropping my hand and not elaborating.

She leans over to whisper in Kennedy’s ear, but the song changing makes it impossible to catch any of it. Her eyes are aimed at me, and I can’t help but think I’m directly in the line of fire.

“So, Zac Man.” Chad edges closer, and I’m not loving the new nickname. “What brings you here tonight?” He not-so-subtly checks out a girl’s ass as she passes by.

“Yeah, Zac, what brings you here?” Kennedy repeats the question, and I realize she’s annoyed for some reason.

“Guys night.” I tip my head in Mark and Ryan’s direction.

Chad snorts as he looks over at the booth, where my friends are chatting up a pair of blondes in our section. Kennedy’s heated glare reads the situation all wrong.

Mark and Ryan are happily married, and I recognize the women as Tam and Isla from business school. They’re no doubt catching up or planning kitchen remodels. But with the tight dresses and close conversation, it looks less innocent than I know it is.

“I’m having a guys night too, if you know what I mean,” Chad says, glancing at a leggy redhead by the bar, who waves him over. “As a matter of fact, I’m gonna—”

“Go home, Chad,” Kennedy snaps.

His shoulders slump. “It’s just a bit of fun, babe.”

Babe?

My vision is blurring as I take a step toward him, but Kennedy is on him before I get the chance.

“Call me babe again, and you’ll find out how good it feels to take a Manolo Blahnik to the balls.” She stares him down, her eyes begging him to move so she can make good on her promise.

Fuck, this woman is—well, there aren’t words.

“I’m gonna head out,” Chad decides, narrowing his eyes. “I’ll text ya later, bab—Kennedy,” he corrects himself.

“How about you text Noelle?” Kennedy suggests, and I guess it must be a woman he’s supposed to be dating.

Chad nods and mumbles something I don’t catch as he disappears into the crowd.

“What a dick,” Monica blurts out.

When Kennedy doesn’t respond, Monica gives me a sympathetic look and heads back to my table to join Mark in what is likely an animated discussion of cabinetry.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Kennedy says, finally looking at me.

“Why not? Chad is.”

“And so now you’re a Chad?”

Well, shit, that hurt. She knows I’m not, doesn’t she?

“You two seemed awfully cozy,” I say.

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