Page 52 of The Bad Girl List

Dom and I have not talked about number ten. Technically, Kevin would be perfect for a vacation fling, but no fucking way does she need to know that. She’s too good to be just another notch in his belt.

“Hey.” Kevin stops by our table, setting his cocktail down as he drags over a chair. “Trev, what’s going on?”

“Not much,” I reply.

“Who’s your friend?” Kevin flashes Dom a wide, appreciative smile that grates like a file against my nerves. I am reminded that he spends his days schmoozing customers in the tasting room of his family’s winery.

“I’m Dominique.” She extends her hand. “You can call me Dom.”

“Nice to meet you, Dom.” Kevin shakes her hand. “Where are you from?”

“I live in San Francisco. I’m here for the next week with my family for vacation.”

“Nice. Did you come up for Passport?”

“We did. We had fun today visiting all the wineries.”

“Did you come by Durham Estate yet?” he asks.

“That doesn’t sound familiar. I don’t think so.”

“You should definitely come by tomorrow,” Kevin says. “That’s my family’s winery. I’ll be working the event. I’ll pull out a special reserve bottle for you and your family. Just come find me.”

And just like that, Kevin is working his magic, charming Dom with his perfect smile and smooth, easy manner.

“Thanks,” Dom says. “I’ll mention it to my family. My mom and aunties have a pretty packed schedule, but we can always be tempted by a special reserve tasting.”

Kevin winks at her. He’s always been good with women. In high school, he had a different girl every few weeks. He had a way of making each and every one of them feel special–right up until the day he dumped them.

“What’s that?” Kevin points to the jar of compost.

“Trevor brought it for me,” Dom says, fingering the edge of the jar. “It’s compost from his winery.”

Kevin raises a quizzical eyebrow at me. “That’s … quaint.”

It occurs to me that if Kevin was here in my place, he would not have brought Dom a jar of dirt as a present. I feel like an idiot. What had I been thinking?

“So how do you guys know each other?” Kevin asks.

“My cousin and I met Trevor and Thomas at Zeke’s last night,” Dom says.

“Ah, so you found the locals’ bar.” Kevin eyes me, as though sizing up my relationship with Dom. “You look like you need a refill,” he says, gesturing to the nearly empty wine glasses on the bistro table. “What can I get you?”

“Oh.” Dom shoots a quick look at me. “We–”

“You were doing a wine tasting, weren’t you?” Kevin says. “From the color of the wine, I’d say Sauvignon Blanc.”

“Yeah.” Dom smiles, clearly impressed that he can identify a wine varietal from the color. Like it’s that hard. “Trevor was teaching me about different Sauvignon Blancs.”

Kevin snaps his fingers. “Since you’ve had the white wine tasting flight, it’s time for a red. Stay right here. I’ll be back.” He grabs his Red Bull and Coke, sauntering off.

As soon as he’s out of sight, Dom turns in her chair and leans toward me. “Do you think he’s a good candidate for number ten?”

So much for trying to keep that idea out of her head. Apparently, Kevin’s oozing charm made it obvious.

“He’s okay.” I don’t mean to sound like a grumpy old man, but I can’t help it. I already miss the easy conversation Dom and I had been having. It makes me realize how long it’s been since I’ve enjoyed sitting around and talking to another human being.

“Okay meaning, yes, you think he’s a good candidate. Or okay meaning, he might have an STD?”

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