Page 58 of Pity Party

“It’s Monday, so it’s pretty much just moms and kids.” As he says that, my eyes are drawn across the water to somebody who is most definitely not a mom. Jamie’s broad shoulders and tanned chest are prominently on display as he wipes beads of water off his body. My mouth immediately goes dry.

Tim is clearly watching my reaction because he disbelievingly says, “Not an ex, huh?”

I force my attention away from Jamie. “What? No.”

“I think you like him,” Tim says plainly.

“Jamie? Hardly.”

He raises his palms upward and seemingly asks the sky, “Doth she protest too much?”

“No, Tim, really. That man just makes me mad. He’s so … so … freaking arrogant.”

“I met him earlier when he joined. I thought he was pretty cool.”

“Maybeyoushould date him.”Why did I say that?

“Missy,” Tim says jokingly. “We’ve only had two dates. We’re not exclusive or anything.”

Surprised, I ask, “Areyou dating other women?”

“I have a date on Friday night,” he says. Before I can respond, he adds, “I think it’s smart to get to know as many people as we can. That way if we ever become exclusive, we know there’s a real chance for us.”

“I’ve never dated multiple men at one time.” I don’t bother to explain that’s probably because there’s never been more than one man interested in dating me at the same time.

“That’s probably more common in the Midwest,” he says. “But the thing is, I’ve been married before, and even though I want to get married again, I’m a little gun shy.”

“So, you want to make sure you meet as many women as you can so you feel comfortable knowing when you think you’ve found the one?”

“Is that shallow?” He cringes slightly. “It’s just that I don’t believe in fate or destiny. I think that when it comes to love you have to make an educated decision, and the only way to do that is to study.”

“So, you’re telling me to date other guys, so I make the best choice in the end.”

He nods his head. “But in case you’re wondering, I don’t sleep around. I only date around. I don’t have sex until I’m in an exclusive relationship.”

Well, that’s refreshing. “What happens if we wind up running into each other while we’re on dates with other people?” I want to know.

He teases, “I’ll tell my date you’re my sister and you tell your date that if he doesn’t treat you well, I’ll challenge him to a duel.”

Tim leads the way around the pool and raises his hand in greeting. “Jamie, hello! I hope you and your daughter are enjoying the facilities.”

Jamie smiles at Tim before making eye contact with me. “What are you doing here?” he wants to know.

“I’m on a date,” I tell him. “But I think you already knew that.”

Tim squeezes my hand and asks Jamie, “Would you mind keeping Missy company while I make a quick call?”

I turn my back on Jamie and hiss, “Tim, no. I don’t want to talk to him.”

He leans in and whispers into my ear, “It’s time to study.” And with that, he walks away, leaving me with the last person on earth that I want to be alone with.

CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE

MELISSA

I stand as immobile as a marble statue while Tim walks away, leaving me with Jamie. I’m torn between running after him and walking out of the country club and calling an Uber to take me home. I’ve never had a guy try to pawn me off on someone else while on a date with me. Certainly not a guy I like.

I get that Tim thinks he’s doing the right thing. I mean, his wife left him for somebody else, and so did several girlfriends. But that must be more indicative of life in LaLa Land than Wisconsin. I’m not saying all relationships work out here, but there’s less of a sense of entitlement.

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