Page 69 of Fabulous Filthy Friend

He said he was busy tonight, but I didn’t pry. Not after Monday and being unnecessarily mom-like by worrying about what he was doing. Not after the fight before that. I don’t want to pry anymore.

But now he’s here, and I can’t let him see me with this guy. He’ll want to know how we met, how we know each other…and we don’t have a story for that. Plus, I’m supposed to be going on a date with Dan next week when he gets back into town. Meeting up with someone else now seems…odd…and Flynn might feel obligated to tell Dan about it. I don’t want to hurt Dan by making it look like I immediately scheduled another date when I knew he wouldn’t be around.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

ABORT MISSION.

I better get out of here before he sees me. If I duck around the backside of the bar and out through the patio, I have a better chance. I turn away and take two steps before his familiar voice stops me.

“Rachel?”

Dammit.

I twist back to Flynn and plaster a smile on my face. “What are you doing here?”

He rises to his feet and walks over to me, glancing around like he’s looking for someone. His lips quirk into a half-smile, and he motions back toward the bar where a half-drunk pint of beer sits. “I am having a drink.”

“By yourself?”

He grimaces a little. “Well, I’m supposed to be meeting someone, but I don’t see her yet.”

Her? So, he does have a date.

That he didn’t tell me about.

That little twinge of what I refuse to admit is jealousy hits my chest. Plus, he didn’t tell me his plans tonight were a date.

Because he didn’t want me to know or because he was waiting to see if it went anywhere before he told me?

I force another smile. “Oh, I’m meeting someone, too.”

While not exactly happy about him being here on a date and not telling me, at least that relieves a little of the pressure. Maybe his date will arrive first, and by the time HRD4U gets here, he’ll already be engrossed in her and won’t be able to give me the third degree.

One of his hands moves through his hair, and then he motions back toward the empty stool he just vacated. “Why don’t you join me then. Until he gets here.”

“Uh, okay.”

It’s so weird for Flynn to have a date and not tell me. Especially after we hung out all last night and had margaritas. He’s typically pretty loose-lipped when the tequila hits. Then again, I guess I kind of have one and didn’t tell him, either. So, I can’t really be annoyed or say anything about it.

Or at least, I shouldn’t be annoyed.

I think Alicia is starting to get into my head too much about my feelings for Flynn. That isn’t why I’m troubled by it. It’s because my best friend isn’t telling me important things about his life.

Though, we’ve obviously both been keeping things to ourselves lately. That bothers me more than it should. Friends can have personal lives they don’t share. That’s normal. It’s how normal friendships are. But it feels weird for Flynn and me.

I glance over at him. The dark splotches under his eyes tell me he didn’t get much sleep. “You still recovering from last night?”

We did drink a lot of margaritas.

He chuckles and points to his beer. “Yes. I’m sticking with beer tonight. I’m never going to let you convince me to drink that much tequila again.”

I slide onto the stool next to him and knock my shoulder against his. “You say that every time.”

A smirk plays at his lips. “I know, but I mean it this time.”

Lies.

Speaking of which…it seems like a good time to just come out and ask what I’ve been wondering. “So, who are you meeting?”

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