The Matchmaker's Playbook(87)
Blake’s eyes widened.
And before I knew what was happening, I was launching myself across the mat and pummeling his face with my fist.
Repeatedly.
“Ian,” Blake shouted as strong arms wrapped around my chest and jerked me away from David’s body on the floor. I tried to go after him again.#p#分页标题#e#
“Dude.” DJ gripped me harder. “Let it go, man. Just let it go.”
“You bastard!” I yelled. “Disrespect her like that again and I’ll kill you!”
David sneered through bloodstained teeth. “I was kidding.” He patted his already-bruising nose. “Geez, man, take a joke.”
A joke? Who joked about having sex with a girl in front of her? Guilt gnawed at my chest, because really, how many times had I done the exact same thing?
“Ian,” Blake called after me.
I couldn’t even look at her.
With a curse, I left the weight room amidst the crowd watching with horrified curiosity.
“Ian!” Blake reached me and grabbed my arm. “It’s not what you think.”
“Tell me.” I didn’t even recognize my own voice anymore. “Was it before or after?”
“What?” She looked confused.
“You told Lex you loved me—was it before or after you screwed him?”
“Never!” Blake shoved me. “Are you serious right now? How does it go from kissing to sex?”
“I don’t know. You tell me. I basically walked you through the steps, Blake.”
“Unbelievable!” She shoved me harder. “I tell you I love you, and not only do you push me toward him but you accuse me of sleeping with him too?”
“It’s not like you didn’t want it, I’m sure,” I muttered.
A stinging sensation knifed through my cheek as her hand went flying across my face.
“We done?” I asked, sidestepping her.
“So. Done.” She jogged back into the weight room, and I continued my walk of shame all the way to my car.
Funny, a few weeks ago what just happened would have been the perfect setup to get the guy to finally notice the girl. Hell, even I couldn’t have written such a good ending.
The only problem?
It wasn’t fiction.
It wasn’t a setup.
It was life.
Whoever said “if you love something, you let it go” clearly had never been in love before. Yet that’s exactly what I was doing.
Letting her go.
To the better man.
Which, for the first time in my life, I realized . . . wasn’t me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“Ian? Are you even listening to me? We kissed. It was amazing . . .”
Hell, even if it was the worst kiss of her life, it would have still been amazing, because when you’re in love or when you really like someone, you can damn near justify anything.
Well, of course he had coffee breath. He works at Starbucks! Duh, he drinks coffee!
Silly Ian. Oh, no, he meant to hit my teeth!
He said he’d been pining for me for years. Years! Can you stand it?
No, I really can’t. Please stop talking.
Or my personal favorite: He said more spit makes things better, because a dry mouth can kill you during oral. I swear.
Right, and balls fall off if you don’t have sex before forty.
No, really. Look it up.
“Ian!” Vivian snapped her fingers in front of me. “After the kiss, how do I still keep him interested?”
Yeah, I needed to stop daydreaming about a certain girl and a certain guy who I could see were currently walking hand in hand toward the HUB.
“You . . .” Frantic at the sight, I reached for Vivian’s hand. “Shit, Vivian, one kiss is fine, but the second kiss is the one that tells them the first wasn’t a fluke. So this time, let him kiss you, but give him some mixed signals. It can’t be too easy.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Okay.” She frowned. “So maybe sit farther away from him?”
David laughed at something Blake said. She was wearing jeans and a short top that showed off her tan skin, damn it!
“Ian,” Vivian growled.
“Right.” Without thinking, I pulled Vivian into my lap, blocking my view of David and Blake. “Get playful with him, and when he leans in, pull back, like this.” I leaned in, she pulled back and smiled.
I felt hollow. Empty. “Good job, Vivian. Just make sure that it’s a playful kiss, and then it can turn passionate. But don’t make out—that’s not for the second kiss or even the third. Keep him wanting. When do you see him again?”
“Well.” Vivian squirmed on my lap. Damn, her butt was bony—give the girl a cookie or something. I love women’s bodies, but eat, for God’s sake. “We’re supposed to study tonight.”