Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“I didn’t order yet,” I mumble.
She shakes her head. The mohawk is green today. “I can always tell what my customers need. And what you needed was speed, man. You need a beer, like, yesterday.”
“That obvious, huh?” Good ol’ Lisa.
Her smile is patient. “What’s her name?”
“Who?”
Lisa gives me an eye roll. “Whoever has you twisted up in knots. And she must be somebody special, because you’re never the one who’s sitting here with a mopey face.”
“Her name is Jess.” I take a big gulp of the beer she’s brought me.
“Wait…” Lisa puts her elbows on the bar. “She drank the Velvet Fog, right?”
“Prolly.”
She nods like a sage. “Nice girl. Not everyone jibes with a wheat ale. I’d do her. But I thought you weren’t ever dating again after what’s-her-name.”
“Molly.”
“I didn’t forget, Blake. I just don’t like saying it out loud.”
Right. Lisa is awfully protective of the players. I never told her what Molly did to me, but during my rookie season, Molly used to come into Sticks & Stones and guard me like a Doberman. She never liked this place, and she used to complain that her beer was served too warm.
Now that I think about it, Lisa might be responsible for that.
“She’s back in town, you know,” I hear myself say.
“Damn.” Lisa makes a face. “I’m sorry. She giving you a hard time?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
Her face softens. “You always say that, honey. And I’m sure it’s true. No man is an island, though. You’re the kind of guy who takes care of his family. Takes care of his friends. Takes care of his teammates. But who takes care of you?”
With another gulp, I consider this question. “So you’re saying that men are more like peninsulas? Then women are like the busy parts of downtown. All those one-way streets and all that traffic. It’s so fucking confusing.”
Her mouth opens, then closes again. Then she grabs my pint glass off the bar and yanks on a tap, topping it up. “Drink this, and tell me what you’re going to do about the Jess situation. Did she dump you?”
I shake my head. “She said fooling around with me was stupid. Or that I was stupid. One of those.”
Lisa flinches. “Oh, honey. Maybe she didn’t mean it like it came out.”
Actually, I’m pretty sure she didn’t. But then where is she? And how long would it take her to realize that we’re good together?
“Women always want me.”
The bartender’s lips twitch. “Most women.”
“Right,” I correct. “Women who like dick want me.”
“But not Jess?”
“She likes me a little,” I admit. “But not enough. Seriously, Lise, how could one woman try to trap me and another just considers me her OOPF?”
“Oopf?”
“Occasional orgasm-producing friend.”
“And you want more.” She pauses. “You’re lonely.”
Ugh. That word again. Why do people assume I’m lonely?
“Okay. Stupid question,” Lisa warns. “Have you actually told this girl you want more?”
“Yeah. Well, I hinted.”
“You hinted. How?”
Hmm. I pushed her up against the wall of a coatroom and pounded her. “You may have a point.”
Lisa cackles. “Yeah? Go figure. So now you need to be straight with her. How’s she gonna give you what you want if she doesn’t know what that is? Oh, and if you’re the kind of guy who likes to make a grand gesture, now would be a good time to do that. You strike me as a grand-gesture kind of guy.”
“I do?” Granted, I make some very grand gestures with the Blake Snake. But I’m getting the feeling that Lisa might not be talking about sex right now.
“Yeah. You’re a go-big-or-go-home guy, right? Think of something she really needs, and then give it to her. A girl would have to sit up and notice something like that.”
“She would, right?”
“Of course.”
I think this through a little more. “But if I make a grand gesture, she might still turn me down.”
“It could happen,” Lisa admits, wiping down the bar. “But then you’d know how it was.”
Fuck. My neck gives a big twinge, and I feel like I already know how it is.
Chapter 22
I Can Do This. I Can’t Do This.
Jess
“Rise and shine!”
The loud and cheery voice jolts me from not-so-peaceful slumber, and before I can blink, the whole world tips over and I’m slamming down onto the floor. What the hell?
I groan and rub my arm where it smacked the hardwood, realizing I’d fallen out of my chair. Was I sleeping at my desk? I groggily scrub both hands over my face. Yep, I totally fell asleep cramming last night. There’s a drool spot and a cheek impression on the pages of the textbook that had served as my pillow.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” Violet is tugging me to my feet, her eyes wide with concern behind her glasses. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine. I’m fine.” I rub my tired eyes. “What time is it?”