Page 59 of Punt

I bit and chewed, but hardly tasted it.

"How did it go?" Mel asked. Her head appeared over the partition.

I jumped in fright.

She laughed while I glared.

"He didn't show." I wasn't going to admit that until the words were out of my mouth. Once they were, I couldn't take them back.

Mel frowned. "That's not okay. Did he say why?"

"I haven't heard from him." I couldn't keep from sounding cranky. I was pissed. More than that, I was hurt. I hadn't been on the receiving end of a guy who slept with a woman, then totally ignored them before. I remembered my own reasoning about him being busy, but he could have picked up a phone. At worst, he could have had someone else contact me. Bec, or Bernice perhaps? I had a feeling Bernice would have his kneecaps if he really did stand me up.

She could get in line.

I sagged against the back of my chair. Was it really that big a deal? Sleeping with him was a mistake. That was all I planned to say to him. No way I was going to tell him I was in love with him. I'd sooner give up choc-choc-chip ice cream and coffee.

"I thought he was one of the nice ones, from what you said." Mel placed her hands on the partition and frowned.

"I thought so, but I was wrong. He's just as bad as the rest of them." I might just swear off men forever. Who needed them anyway? I had my vibrator, and science was ready if I wanted children. I could unblock a toilet and change the tyres on my car. Men were a complication I didn't need. Besides, they involvedfar too much farting under the bed covers, and drinking milk from the bottle.

Hard pass on both.

"Awww, I'm sorry he was a dud," Mel said. "Not all men are bad."

"Just the ones I know," I grumbled.

"I'm pretty sure Hank from publicity has a thing for you," Mel said with a sly smile.

I grimaced. "Hank is older than my father." I had no problem with age gaps, but I couldn't imagine Hank getting my heart racing like Chase did. Like Kris used to.

"Older guys know how to treat a girl," Mel said.

"I'll keep that in mind," I said dryly. I should keep an open mind. A boring life might be just what I need. I wasn't quite ready to surrender to it yet though. Not when I'd just come to realise I needed a bit more excitement than choosing which movie to watch on a Friday night.

"What are you going to do?" Mel asked for a moment or two. "About Chase, I mean. You're not going to let him get away with standing you up?"

"Shouldn't you be telling me, as my friend, to forget about him and move on?" I asked.

Mel shrugged. "I know a woman with the hots for a guy when I see one. I'm sure whatever you decide, will be the right choice."

"Yeah." I wish I was so sure about that.

CHAPTER 20

I felt like shit, but it was the right thing to do.

Wasn't it?

I paced across the front patio, arms crossed to ward off the chill wind which blew off the bay.

Good guys didn't stand women up. They didn't string women along. A clean break, that was what Ashley needed. Okay, it was whatIneeded, but if she knew how I felt about her, she'd agree. The last thing she needed was me mooning around like a lovesick puppy.

I sighed out my nose and stepped back inside. It was warmer in here. Warmer still when I closed the door to keep out the cold.

One thing I promised myself when I bought a place with my earnings from the Rapids, was that I'd never be cold at home. Apart from a wing upstairs for guests, everything stayed at a comfortable temperature all year round. I could walk from room to room in the middle of winter and be equally comfortable.

The heating bill was horrendous, but I paid it without blinking. If I was careful with my money, I could live the rest of my life like this.

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