Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
NINA
“And so basically the interview was just a formality. My dad knows the guy who owns the company, so I’m pretty much a shoo-in, but you know…gotta keep up appearances!”
Brian, my app-date for the night, holds up his beer for a toast which I don’t return, then skulls the remainder, a very pleased-with-himself look plastered across his face. I force a smile across mine, doing my best not to show just how revolted I am by basically everything about him.
Is nepo baby a strictly Hollywood only term, or does it apply to jerks like this who are also just born one giant step ahead of everybody else because of who their parents are? It’s strange he never mentioned any of this on his profile. If he had, I never would have agreed to go out with him. I guess maybe he wanted it to look like he’d gotten his current job as an accountant on his own merit. But now that he has a few drinks in him, the truth is coming out.
“Yup, gotta keep those appearances up,” I reply with a half-smile as I text Riley, my roommate.
-Please tell me you’re home.
She writes back immediately.
-Going that badly?
-Awful. Pulling out early.
My phone vibrates in my hand.
-That’s what he said? I laugh as the next text comes in. I’m at the dorm. Can’t wait to hear all about it.
I tuck my phone back into my purse and look up.
“Hey, so my roommate just texted me and says she’s not feeling well,” I lie. “I think we’re going to have to cut this short sadly.”
Brian’s smug, drunk face sinks as he looks back at me over a freshly ordered beer that’s just arrived at our table. “You serious?”
“I am.” I nod as I get to my feet. He’s looking back at me like he can’t believe any girl would ever bail on him early. So entitled. So arrogant. Like he’s never had anyone say no to him in his entire life.
I only even swiped on him because I liked his haircut and his profile said he was into Hunter S. Thompson, but then when we met up at the restaurant, it turned out he’d actually shaved his head and he only claimed to have liked Hunter because he’s a Johnny Depp fan and liked Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the movie, but hadn’t actually read any of his writings.
Talk about a bait and switch.
I didn’t even want to go to begin with, but Riley kept telling me that I couldn’t be “one of those career focused women that ends up old and lonely with nothing but a clamped-up vagina and a cat by her side.” And she did have a bit of a point. I’ve been so focused on school since getting into the University of New Hampshire that my dating life has been basically non-existent.
Not that it was existent in high school either.
I was that girl who was always focused on her schoolwork because I actually had a goal in mind for where I wanted to be in five to ten years. People interpreted that as being antisocial, but I’m really not. I’m not creepy or crazy shy, I don’t hate being around people or anything, I just prefer working on my main focus in life: journalism.
And my date tonight, Brian, could not care less about anything I have to say on the subject. I knew five-minutes in that things were not going to work out between us. But I’m not sure that he’s got the message even now.
“Ah, come on,” he protests, following me as I make my way to the door. “I’m sure your friend can hold out for a little while longer. Why don’t you stick around? I’ll buy you a drink.”
“I’m not even old enough to drink, Brian. Remember?”
He pauses. “Oh, right…well, we could get some food. You like Parmesan fries? Brussel sprouts?”
“I’m fine.” I smile, nudging my way out the door into the night. It’s a bit chilly, and I glance at my phone to see where my Uber has parked, but it looks like the driver has somehow managed to end up around the other side of the block.
“You sure are, Nina.” Brian grins, throwing his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer. I can smell the alcohol on his breath. “Which is why I think you need to stick around a little bit longer.”
“I appreciate the compliment. But I’ve got a car waiting for me one street over, so thank you for the night,” I say, trying to keep my tone as level as possible and my face as jovial as I can. “But I’ll say good night here.”
I shrug out from under his skeevy arm and turn to head down the side street.
What a disaster that was, I think as my heels echo off the buildings around me. I can’t believe I even wore these tonight. I never get all girlie’d up, and the one night I do, everything backfires on me.